Has Emma Raducanu’s Haunted Past Come Calling After Iga Swiatek’s French Open Victory?

Emma Raducanu had battled for nearly three hours to get past Wang Xinyu in the French Open first round. The match was full of grit and grind. But she also dropped her serve seven times. That was a warning that things might get rough against the “Queen of Clay,” Iga Swiatek. And on Wednesday, that prediction came true. The Brit lost 6-1, 6-2 to Swiatek, continuing her winless streak against the Polish star. It was her fifth loss in five meetings with the World No.5. Naturally, that stings. So what does she have to say about this losing streak?

Raducanu has made solid progress over the past few months. After years of injury setbacks, she’s now back in the top 50. She reached the quarterfinals in Miami and made it to the last 16 in Rome. A big part of that turnaround has been her new “informal” coaching setup with Mark Petchey, which began in March.

That freedom and stability have helped her find her rhythm again. But facing Swiatek is a whole different game. In their last meeting at the Australian Open the 22-year-old lost 6-1,6-0. It’s clear there’s still a huge gap between Raducanu and the top names on the WTA Tour.

Talking about her latest defeat in her post-match interview,the British No.2 said, “I think Iga played really well today. Every time we’ve played, she plays really well. It kind of puts really a lot of pressure on from the beginning. It makes me feel like I have to maybe to do something extra. I just don’t know what to do in the moment. I think it does shift the dynamics of the match a bit. Then it’s very difficult to kind of stay with her as she grows in confidence. It just shows I guess the distance that I have to improve.”

Raducanu after her loss to Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros, ‘It just shows the distance that I have to improve’

“You mentioned Monday that you felt Iga is always fired up when she plays you. Did you feel that before the match today? And if so, how does that make you feel that one… pic.twitter.com/G2s0dDOOEI

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 28, 2025

That’s an honest reflection. It also shows how much of tennis is mental. And Raducanu has faced those battles before. Back in 2021 at Wimbledon, she was just 18 and trailing Ajla Tomljanovic 4-6, 0-3 when she asked for a trainer. She left the court and never returned, with Wimbledon later confirming she had “difficulty breathing.” But only a few weeks later, she turned that around in stunning fashion. The teenager made history at the US Open by becoming the first qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam in the Open Era.

Could something magical happen again?

Emma Raducanu vows to not “hide in a hole” after heartbreaking defeat

Despite the loss, there was a silver lining. Emma Raducanu didn’t play the French Open in 2024. That means she had no points to defend. So even after the defeat, she’ll gain ranking points and climb to No.37.

And let’s not forget that clay isn’t her best surface. Beating Iga Swiatek on red dirt is one of the hardest tasks in the sport. She is a four-time French Open champion, after all.

Raducanu is adamant on not dwelling on this heartbreaking defeat. She told BBC Sport: “I don’t want to go and hide in a hole, so it’s OK. I need to get over it over the next few days and then get on the court and work to be better.”

The grass-court swing is up next, starting with a home tournament at Queen’s in less than two weeks. The 2021 US Open champion also plans to play in Berlin and Eastbourne before Wimbledon begins on June 30. She’s eager to get some grass under her shoes. “I want to go into Wimbledon having had more matches on the surface,” she said. “I’ve not played on the grass for a whole year so it’s something new and not much time to turn over.”

There’s also this stat to consider- Wimbledon 2024 was her best Grand Slam run since her US Open triumph. She made it to the fourth round under the support of the home crowd. Can Emma Raducanu channel that energy and go even further this time?

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