'A big ask' in Paris - will a stronger Raducanu emerge at Wimbledon?

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: 'A big ask' in Paris - will a stronger Raducanu emerge at Wimbledon? Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Emma Raducanu lost in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament for only the third time in her careerByJonathan Jurejko Sport tennis news reporter at Roland GarrosPublished24 May 2026Electing to skip the entire clay-court season was clearly an option for Emma Raducanu. After suffering a 6-0 7-6 (7-4) defeat by Argentina's Solana Sierra in the Roland Garros first round, British number one Raducanu could be forgiven for wishing she had stayed back home.

The bulk of her 2026 season has been decimated by a viral illness and how far she is behind her peers was starkly laid bare in what was only her second match back after more than two months away from tour action. The world number 39's lack of match practice was clear in a display where she produced arguably one of the lowest levels of her career in a 23-minute first set. Sitting out Roland Garros and getting down to work with Andrew Richardson - the coach who Raducanu has rehired after he unceremoniously left following her 2021 US Open win - would have been a logical move.

The Details

Spending time on the practice court and honing her game could have paid dividends for the British grass season, where the aggressive brand of tennis she wants to play is more suited to than the clay. Raducanu says she stands by the decision to go to Paris. She believes trying to grind through her troubles will ultimately help her revive a career which continues to flag.

"It was always going to be a big ask coming in. I really wanted to play the French, so that was my decision," said Raducanu, who had only lost a set 6-0 once before at a Grand Slam event. "In hindsight, after the two matches I've played, it could have been nice to have saved yourself a match like today.

"I didn't necessarily do as well as I'd like to this year. But I think the only way to face - and improve - how I'm feeling is to go through the tough parts, to go through the pain of it, and hopefully come out on the other side better and stronger. "Jones breaks through after 'hardest moment of career' Published12 hours agoRusty Djokovic beats Mpetshi Perricard in four sets Published9 hours agoEmotional Kostyuk dedicates win to Ukraine Published16 hours agoRaducanu losing to Sierra was not a surprise in itself, even though the Briton is ranked 29 places higher in the world.

What Experts Say

Since Indian Wells in early March, Raducanu has only played one match - and that only came last week in a straight-set defeat by France's Diane Parry in Strasbourg. The post-viral issues have continued to have lingering effects. In Paris, she was coughing between points and was still struggling on her way to the post-match interviews.

Sierra, on the other hand, was healthy, as well as having the benefit of more matches in her legs and more rhythm in her racquet. The difference was clear in a woeful first set from a subdued Raducanu.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.