Emma Raducanu had a disappointing doubles debut at the Citi Open, as she and her partner Clara Tauson crashed out of the event in straight sets on Tuesday. The British-Danish pair lost to third seeds Lucie Hradecka and Monica Niculescu 4-6, 1-6.
However, Tauson did not let the defeat get to her, as she posted an Instagram story of her and Raducanu in the dressing room after their match. The 19-year-old captioned the photograph saying that, despite the loss, she had a lot of fun with the World No. 10 during their brief time together on the tennis court.
"We didn't get the [win] but we had fun," Tauson wrote on Instagram.
Raducanu appeared to have felt the same, as she was spotted smiling wide in the picture with her fingers held up to form a 'V', the universal sign of victory.
Playing in her debut doubles match, Emma Raducanu struggled to keep up with the pace of her opponents, who turned out to be far more experienced. The teenage pair failed to make an impact as the Czech-Romanian duo enjoyed the upper hand throughout the match.
Having lost out on a spot in the next round of the doubles event, the pair will now try out their individual luck in their singles matches scheduled to take place today and tomorrow.
“I think they’re just as involved as any parents really who have a teen daughter"- Emma Raducanu on her parents
Speaking from Washington DC during her pre-tournament press conference, Emma Raducanu shed light on how her parents' love and care for her have helped her become who she is now. Her parents do not officially manage or coach her, but they have always been very involved in their teenage daughter's tennis career.
When the teenager was asked about the extent to which they get involved, the 19-year-old declared that they have always been by her side to give her reassurance when required, sometimes even traveling with her to tournaments.
"Well, I am pretty young. Like, some longer trips, my mum might travel, my dad. I think that my mum just sees me as her 19-year-old daughter who has kind of been just like thrust upon everything. She likes to be there for me if I ever need reassurance."
Raducanu also praised her mother and father for how they acted just like the parents of any teenager, hinting that it helped her feel like a normal teenager to a certain extent.
“I think whether that’s a regular uni student asking them for advice, where to go to do the summer school or internship or whatever, they’re just as involved, it’s just in a completely different profession. I think they're just as involved as any parents really who have a teen daughter."
Emma Raducanu will face qualifier Louisa Chirico in her Citi Open opener on Tuesday. The reigning US Open champion is likely to lock horns with 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin in the second round, provided she beats Chirico and Kenin gets past Camila Osorio in her opener.