Emma Raducanu’s return to the Madrid Open ended in disappointment on Monday as she suffered a straight-sets defeat to world No. 82 Maria Lourdes Carle in the opening round. The 21-year-old Briton, who won the US Open in 2021, had been in good form coming into the tournament, having won four matches in a row on clay for the first time since her Flushing Meadows triumph. However, she was outplayed by the Argentine qualifier, who claimed her first WTA 1000 match win in impressive fashion.
Raducanu, who is coached by Iain Bates in Madrid due to the absence of her usual coach Nick Cavaday, had a chance to break back in the opening set but missed two break points. Carle, who had won two matches in qualifying to reach the main draw, took full advantage and broke Raducanu to love in the next game. The British No. 6 managed to get one break back, but Carle responded immediately to restore her two-break lead and serve out the opening set 6-2.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with Raducanu breaking back only to see Carle break her twice more and race into a 4-1 lead. The Argentine, who is ranked 244 places below Raducanu, served out the match to love to seal a memorable victory.
It is a disappointing result for Raducanu, who will be hoping to bounce back at the French Open later this month. The 21-year-old has shown signs of improvement on clay this season, but she will need to find a way to step up her level if she wants to make a deep run at Roland Garros.
