PARIS, France — Emma Raducanu stated she felt “uncovered” in opposition to Iga Swiatek in her second spherical loss on the French Open, and the margin of defeat confirmed her the space between herself and the world’s high gamers on clay.
Raducanu, 22, fell 6-1, 6-2 to Swiatek, the four-time Roland Garros champion, on Wednesday. Raducanu was one in all six Brits to make it by to the second spherical of this 12 months’s French Open, however she was handed the hardest attainable ask with a match in opposition to Swiatek.
Swiatek, who has 5 Grand Slams to her identify general having additionally taken the 2022 US Open, got here into the event in blended kind by her extremely excessive requirements, however as all the time, she has discovered a option to increase her recreation as soon as at Roland Garros having received the final three tournaments right here. It’s a place the place she has suffered zero defeats since 2021 and now has 23 victories in a row to her identify on this event.
For Raducanu, this was her first match on the showpiece court docket at Roland Garros — Court docket Philippe-Chatrier — and it was an intimidating expertise.
“It was a very tough match,” Raducanu stated. “Iga performed very well. Yeah, it was powerful. I believe to start with of the match it was fairly tight. Because it went on I believe she grew in confidence. I simply felt a bit uncovered. So yeah, it was a tough one.
“It was the primary time taking part in a match on that court docket. You do really feel like it’s a massive court docket. And it is completely different and it is new for me. It is a surrounding that she’s clearly very snug with and she or he’s performed in it quite a lot of occasions. I believe that did emphasise me feeling a little bit of uncomfortable. But it surely’s an excellent expertise for if I ever play on that court docket once more.”
For Raducanu, this was all the time going to be a troublesome match. She got here by her first-round match in opposition to Wang Xinyu 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 however all of the whereas she was battling ache and sickness. She suffered a again spasm on the Strasburg Open final week, and woke on the morning of her opening match with illness. Although she journeyed to Roland Garros in respectable kind on clay, she was outclassed by Swiatek.
Wanting again at her clay court docket season, Raducanu stated: “I believe there have been positives within the sense that I received a number of matches on the floor. It is in all probability my first correct clay court docket season I’ve had and performed by. My final one was actually in 2022, so it has been a very long time since.
“I assume I am fairly pleased with … Contemplating firstly I felt actually uncomfortable shifting. I felt higher. I believe there are particular parts of my recreation I actually really feel like I would like to enhance, however I do not essentially wish to go into element right here [in front of the media] and broadcast it to everybody.
“However I assume, in opposition to the highest on this planet, I nonetheless have a protracted option to go, and [today] simply highlights that.”
Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, had by no means overwhelmed Swiatek, 23, earlier than right this moment’s conflict, having misplaced all 4 of their earlier conferences. The final time the 2 met it was a dominant win for Swiatek, as she eased by their Australian Open third spherical assembly earlier this 12 months 6-1, 6-0.
Swiatek replicated that first set rating this time round as she saved a primary recreation break level after which took management of the match. She broke Raducanu twice en path to taking the primary set 6-1 in simply 35 minutes with Raducanu discovering it laborious to get her forehand on level.
Swiatek’s dominance confirmed no indicators of abating within the early throes of the second set, as she broke Raducanu’s serve to like within the third recreation. Raducanu pressured three break factors within the fourth recreation however did not capitalise on any of them as Swiatek went 3-1 up. Raducanu then saved a break level in fifth however did not come up with Swiatek’s function the reigning champion held to like to go 4-2 up. Swiatek then broke Raducanu’s serve once more within the seventh recreation, and served out to undergo in 1 hour 19 minutes.
“I knew what I wished to do, so I simply did it,” Swiatek stated. “I had fun on the court docket, and I felt the sport fairly effectively, so I simply went for it.”
Swiatek will now face the winner of Sara Bejlek-Jaqueline Cristian within the third spherical on Friday. Raducanu now switches consideration to her grass court docket season, the place she’ll look to hold promising kind into Wimbledon.
“I do not really feel demotivated,” Raducanu stated. “I really feel like since Miami I’ve actually began constructing some momentum in comparison with the place I got here from initially of the 12 months and it makes me simply wish to maintain going after a pair days off after which get on the grass.
“I do really feel snug clearly being at residence and having that surroundings round me. Final 12 months I had an amazing season, and I am trying ahead to form of being in the identical surroundings, being at residence, having the house help. I believe all of us actually thrive in that surroundings, and yeah, it is only a actually wholesome and a cheerful time.”