Emma Raducanu has bowed out of the French Open, losing her second round match against Iga Swiatek.
Raducanu relied on her improved forehand to reach the second round at Roland Garros, having beaten Wang Xinyu in round one.
But former WTA number 10 Raducanu could not follow that 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 success with a win against Swiatek, who beat her 6-1, 6-2.
Raducanu had an injury issue against Wang, with the Briton then comfortably overcome by Swiatek in their French Open clash.
The Pole is the three-time French Open defending champion, and has now set up a round three match with Jaqueline Cristian.
What Emma Raducanu needs to do to catch Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff
Raducanu meanwhile has analysed her efforts after the defeat, sharing what she thinks she needs to do to catch the likes of Swiatek and fellow WTA star Coco Gauff.
“I think I have done a pretty good job of staying with and getting some good wins over players not in the top 10,” said Raducanu.
“I think there is a big difference as you go up into the top five and then playing slam champions. It is a completely different ball game.
“I think there are certain elements of my game that I really feel I need to improve but I don’t necessarily want to go into detail here and broadcast it to everyone.
“But I definitely know that and I am going to take it back to the team. But at the same time I feel like I have really worked on my forehand and it has become more and more of a weapon, especially on clay actually, it has maybe helped because I have a bit more time to set up and do a bit more and get it to jump.
“I think in that way the clay has actually helped me develop that as a weapon so it will be interesting to see on the grass, where it is very different and a lot lower, if it will be as good and how the other elements transition onto the grass. It’s a pretty quick turnover.”
Emma Raducanu head-to-head record vs Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff
Despite her early exit at the French Open, Raducanu can rightfully be proud of her efforts, having had more than a few issues in recent times.
The former British number one has been distracted by both injury problems and coaching changes despite being only 22 years old.
Losing to Swiatek meanwhile is nothing to be ashamed about, with the five-time Grand Slam champion a formidable force on clay.
She has won four of her five Grand Slam titles on the surface, including three in each of the last three years in France.
And Gauff is also a huge threat on the surface and indeed elsewhere, having reached two Grand Slam finals.
The number two in the WTA rankings lost the 2022 French Open final before winning the 2023 US Open final.
The trio all know what it feels like to win the hard court Grand Slam, with Raducanu, Swiatek and Gauff among recent US Open champions.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
| 2020 | Naomi Osaka | Victoria Azarenka | 1–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 2021 | Emma Raducanu | Leylah Fernandez | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 2022 | Iga Swiatek | Ons Jabeur | 6–2, 7–6(7–5) |
| 2023 | Coco Gauff | Aryna Sabalenka | 2–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 2024 | Aryna Sabalenka | Jessica Pegula | 7–5, 7–5 |
But improving upon her head-to-head record with the Pole and the American may be a starting point for Raducanu.
She has now lost all five of her WTA meetings with Swiatek, as well as both of her career encounters with Gauff.
The Briton was aiming to reach the third round at Roland Garros for the first time, but instead is now 1-8 against top five players, having lost a fifth successive match against a former major champion.
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