Emma Raducanu could not have asked for a worse fate at the 2022 US Open, as her bid for a title defense at Flushing Meadows came to an end in the very first round. Taking on giant-killer Alize Cornet, the Brit failed to capitalize on a break she had in the second set and eventually fell 6-3, 6-3 in straight sets.
The World No. 11, surprisingly enough, did not come in as the favorite for the clash, considering her poor run of form this year and Cornet's incredible Slam record for the season. With the loss today, Raducanu has failed to get past the second round at all four Grand Slams in 2022, recording a 3-4 win/loss record in Majors.
The Frenchwoman, meanwhile, added another name to her list of Slam champion victims this season -- Garbine Muguruza and Simona Halep at the Australian Open, Jelena Ostapenko at the French Open, Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon and now the teenager in New York.
Tennis fans were quick to pile on Raducanu in the aftermath of her defeat, reiterating sentiments from the past like how she was overrated and bound to go down in history as nothing more than a one-Slam wonder. One fan wrote:
"Emma Raducanu [is] the worst Grand Slam champion in tennis history, no question. She is really bad at tennis."
At the same time, many fans were also understanding of the fact that the teenager was struggling to adapt to the tour in her first full year, noting that this loss shouldn't take anything away from her title run last season. One user tweeted:
"Losing tonight does nothing to erase what Emma Raducanu achieved last year. Forever a legend for that run."
Another fan pointed out that the defeat would ultimately be beneficial for the World No. 11, since she can now focus on rebuilding and not play with the immense pressure that has been on her since the triumph at Flushing Meadows, tweeting:
"The real journey and the fresh clean slate officially begins for Emma Raducanu. That was a wild year. Nice to get that over with. Now time for it to be a more conventional progression. Emma had got to the Major with an elevator & is now ready to climb the stairs."
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
Emma Raducanu to fall out of the Top-80 following first-round loss at 2022 US Open
Emma Raducanu was defending 2000 ranking points at the 2022 US Open thanks to her run from last year, and this loss will send her tumbling down the rankings without question.
In the live rankings, the teenager currently sits at World No. 80 and is expected to drop even further as other players outdo her at the tournament in the coming days.
The only silver lining in this debacle that has been the 2022 season for the Brit is that she has barely any points to defend next year, meaning she can come back much stronger in 2023 with enough match practice under her belt.
Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Schedule