"Emma Raducanu's US Open Heartbreak: 2021 Champion Falls to Sofia Kenin, Continues Winless Streak Since Triumphant Debut"
A tearful Emma Raducanu felt 'sad' as her quest for a first win at the US Open since her remarkable 2021 victory continues.
At 21, she shocked the globe by capturing the title in just her third senior tournament three years earlier, but the success has not been replicated since.
Following a first-round exit in 2022 and missing the previous year due to injury, Sofia Kenin inflicted more disappointment with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory on the Grandstand court.
Sofia Kenin emerged victorious over Raducanu in a clash between former Grand Slam champions. pic.twitter.com/K0vFd7KlEK
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 28, 2024
When asked about her feelings on the defeat, Raducanu paused, fighting back tears, and said, 'Yeah, I feel down, like I feel sad.'
'This is a tournament I really want to do well in.'
She added: 'I'm just going to go back to the drawing board, train, and analyze where I went wrong to try and improve for the rest of the season.'
'Obviously, the slams are done for this year, but it won't be too long until Australia rolls around again.'
After participating in only one tournament since Wimbledon and foregoing the Olympics to concentrate on the US Open, uncertainties about the trajectory of her career continue to linger.
She admitted that she might have got her preparation wrong.
"I would have preferred to play a bit more before coming into the US Open," she said.
'I know that when I have a lot of matches, just like every other player, you feel really good, everything seems automatic.
'I can learn from this experience and, you know, adjust my schedule a bit differently,' she said.
'It wasn't solely my decision. It was more of a group consensus, and that's how it turned out. I can't really alter it now.'
Facing the former Australian Open champion was a challenging draw for Raducanu, as her opponent displayed some of her finest form.
Kenin capitalized on Raducanu's serve and managed to break three times, securing a dominant first set.
The match between Raducanu and Kenin is currently tied at the Grandstand 👀 pic.twitter.com/tXL2TfC3tq
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 28, 2024
The British player missed three break points in the first set but initiated a strong comeback at the start of the second set by breaking Kenin's serve.
The American rebounded, but a pivotal moment at 2-2 and 15-15 saw Raducanu deliver a backhand winner down the line, shifting the momentum of the second set.
This shift in momentum allowed Raducanu to break Kenin's serve once more, as Kenin, frustrated, smashed the ball into the backboard. Raducanu capitalized on this and, with two exceptional winners, clinched a second break and captured the set impressively.
However, things took a turn for the worse for the Brit in the fifth game of the deciding set when she was broken, allowing Kenin to finish the match with clinical precision.
