French Open 2026: Emma Raducanu’s first round defeat was not unexpected

Radukan’s defeat at Serra was no surprise in itself, despite Britain being ranked 29 in the world.

Radukanu has played just one match since Indian Wells in early March – and that was only last week in a straight-sets defeat to France’s Diane Parry in Strasbourg.

Post-viral issues continued to take a toll and she was struggling with a cough in Paris.

A healthy Sierra, by contrast, has more match in her legs and more rhythm in her racquet.

The difference was evident in Radukanu’s first collection of woes.

The 23-year-old’s aggressive striking style early in the rally and unwillingness to wait patiently for attacking opportunities showed her willingness to overwhelm her opponent.

With her lack of court time and the 30C heat in Paris, it was logical for Raducanu to try to finish the points quickly.

However, her timing was too good and it led to a lot of unforced errors.

“I felt the conditions were very lively, and I couldn’t trust my shots and I didn’t think I was in control of the ball,” Raducanu said.

“It was a tough preparation to get into as I haven’t had many matches.

“I think maybe a little light on matches, a little light on confidence coming into the tournament.”

Sierra was always going to present a tough challenge, especially at this early stage of Radukan’s latest comeback.

The 21-year-old Sierra, who started playing on the red dirt at the age of three, has shown her prowess by pushing past French Open champion Coco Gaff in Rome.