Emma Raducanu has been dumped out of the Qatar Open after a straight-sets defeat to Anhelina Kalinina.
The Great British star, who is still very much recovering from last year’s lengthy injury lay-off, was slow to start and only really began battling when the match was already beyond her.
And yet, despite actually boasting a set point to tie things up at one point, she faltered and fell to defeat.
The loss clearly left her pondering her training regime in the immediate aftermath, and when speaking post-match she detailed the changes she plans to make.
But what has the 21-year-old got planned to combat this latest setback? Let’s take a closer look.
What Emma Raducanu said after her Qatar Open loss
Speaking live on Sky Sports, the youngster came to chat with the three pundits who had just been discussing her performance.
It was a disappointing loss, but one which showcased her fighting spirit and desire, even if they took a while to appear.
Well, Raducanu had plenty of justifications to explain her inconsistent showing, which she would detail just days after lauding the minor improvements she is making.
The 2021 US Open winner claimed: ‘I felt like I never really got into it. It’s like my first day match in over a year. That’s different.
‘Honestly, I think I need to start practising training outside a bit more because it’s very different and also with the lights and shadows, it’s hard to see the ball I found toward the end. But when the tennis isn’t there you have to at least try and fight and I felt like I did that at the end.’
Raducanu needs some faster starts
Although 2024 has been a tough year thus far for Raducanu, it has also likely been one of immense growth, having spent so long out of action in 2023.
Surgery on both wrists and her ankle left her unable to play any tennis for quite some time, and given her youth, the timing was a hammer blow.
So, at this point, any tennis is good for her.
However, having now featured in four tournaments including a Grand Slam, perhaps her decision to return home for some practice is a wise one.
Especially given she has fallen victim to slow starts in recent weeks, which has left her chasing matches from that point on.
Against Ons Jabeur just last week she was blown away in the opening set before a late fightback flattered the scoreline.
Then, again today her opponent raced into a 6-0 lead before Raducanu actually started playing any real tennis.
Whether it be a mental block or her lack of match sharpness, it is something she will want to fix, alongside the other issues she outlined, in order to start enjoying deeper runs into tournaments.
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