Emma Raducanu closing in on return to top 20 of alternative tennis rankings

Emma Raducanu’s stuttering season suffered a major setback with her comprehensive defeat in the opening the Madrid Open, but there have been real signs of progress for the 2021 US Open champion in recent months.

Raducanu revealed that she felt “exhausted” during a straight-sets defeat to Argentinian qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle in Madrid, with the British star beaten 6-2 6-2 after she accepted a wildcard into the WTA 1000 tournament.

Playing with strapping around the front of her left knee, Raducanu made a host of unforced errors and saw her serve broken six times.

“I would say the last few weeks have been a lot,” said the former world No 10.

“I think from the performance today it was very clear that mentally and emotionally I was exhausted.