Emma Raducanu's challenging 2022 season continued on Wednesday as she suffered a second-round defeat at the French Open, losing 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 to world No. 47 Aliaksandra Sasnovich. The 19-year-old British player, who won the US Open last year, has now managed only two wins against top-50 opponents this season, highlighting ongoing struggles with consistency.
Raducanu started strongly, winning the first set with aggressive play, but her intensity waned in the second set as Sasnovich took control. The Belarusian struck 19 winners to just four unforced errors in the second set, exposing Raducanu's dip in form. Despite generating five break points early in the deciding set, Raducanu failed to convert, and her forehand errors mounted as she lost the final two sets convincingly.
Speaking after the match, Raducanu remained positive, saying she is learning from her losses. 'I think before I would let the losses affect me more than I am right now,' she said. 'Now I just look at everything as a lesson, and I know exactly where I went wrong, where I can improve.' She also noted that her physical condition was good after two three-set matches, a positive sign after recent injury concerns.
The defeat means Raducanu will now turn her attention to the grass-court season, having finished her first full clay campaign with a quarter-final in Stuttgart and a couple of wins in Madrid. She acknowledged there is still 'a long way to go' on clay but expressed satisfaction with her progress. 'I definitely got stronger as the clay season went on,' she added.
Raducanu's exit follows that of fourth seed Maria Sakkari, who lost to unseeded Karolina Muchova in straight sets. The bottom half of the draw has opened up, with five top-10 seeds already eliminated.
