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Emma Raducanu, who made a bid for the US Open title lost 6-3 6-3 to Frenchwoman Alize Cornet in the first round of the US Open, which she won last year.
When Raducanu won 10 matches in New York without dropping a set, she made history by becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title. This feat launched her career into the stratosphere and made her one of the world’s most recognizable athletes.
The 19-year-old Raducanu often seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on her slender shoulders on Tuesday, but a year ago she showed up to her first match as an unknown with no expectations or pressure.
“Disappointing, really sad to leave here. But also, in a way happy because it’s a clean slate,” Raducanu told a post-match press conference.
“I am going to drop down the rankings. Climb my way back up. In a way the target will be off my back slightly,” she added.
Injuries and bad form limited Raducanu’s match win during her first full year on the Tour, and each early exit raised questions about her performance.
Raducanu, who is still only 19 years old, will now have the opportunity to advance in her career, and if it necessitates competing in lower-level events, she will do so.
“I can just start again. I don’t know what my ranking will be. Probably pretty low down. I think it would be nice in a way to kind of just start over, start fresh,” she said.
“I think any player would be happy to win a tournament. I think it makes a massive difference no matter what the level is,” she added.
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