Emma Raducanu admits she was ‘exposed’ in French Open exit to Iga Swiatek

By Andy Sims, PA, Roland Garros

Emma Raducanu was given another stark reality check by Iga Swiatek as her French Open came to an abrupt, brutal end.

The 22-year-old was one of six British players through to the second round at Roland Garros but her stay was ended in double-quick time, 6-1 6-2, by the four-time champion.

It was a meek display from the former US Open champion, who has now lost all five meetings with Swiatek without winning a set.

“It was a really difficult match. Iga played really well,” she said. “Yeah, it was tough. I think in the beginning of the match it was pretty tight.

“As it went on I think she grew in confidence. I just felt a bit exposed. So yeah, it was a difficult one.”

The most recent of those defeats by Swiatek was still fresh in the memory, a 6-1 6-0 pasting at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Swiatek is nicknamed the ‘Queen of Clay’ and is unbeaten at the tournament since 2021 but she has not reached a final since Paris last year and has slipped to number five in the world.

So there were at least some small reasons for optimism for Raducanu, who let out a shriek of relief when she held her opening service game.

But her next service game was tame, giving Swiatek – who was hardly playing lights-out tennis herself – an easy break.

Raducanu made a horrible mess of an overhead to gift Swiatek a 5-1 lead and the 23-year-old clinched the set with an ace.

The British number two held at the start of the second – at least getting that Melbourne monkey off her back – but Swiatek had by now found her range and a flurry of winners subsequently secured a break to love.

There were fleeting moments of hope but three break points came and went and Raducanu’s error count began to climb steadily.

Swiatek broke again for 5-2 and a flashing winner – her 31st of the contest – wrapped up a comprehensive win in just an hour and 19 minutes and illustrated the gulf in class between Raducanu and the top echelons of the sport.

“I think every time we have played she plays really well,” Raducanu added. “It kind of puts really a lot of pressure on from the beginning, makes me feel like I have to maybe do something extra or I just don’t know what to do in the moment.

“I think it does, shift the dynamics of the match a bit, and then it’s very difficult to kind of stay with her as she grows in confidence.

“But, yeah, it just shows, I guess, the distance that I have to improve.”