2021 U.S. Open Women’s Singles Champion Emma Raducanu lost her first competitive match since winning the grand slam title in New York City last month. The 18-year-old star lost her first-round match in the BNP Paribas Open against Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Friday night in what was a one-sided 6-2, 6-4 defeat.
Initially, Raducanu was entered into the tournament draw after receiving a wild card for the event. This loss sees the British national’s 10-match winning streak come to an end.
While at a low point in her months-old WTA career, Raducanu remained optimistic after this disappointment. “I’m kind of glad that what happened today happened so I can learn and take it as a lesson so going forward I’ll just have more experience banked,” she explained after the match.
The victory came as a surprise for Sasnovich, who emphasized the irony of her victory. While Raducanu won the U.S. Open, the young Belarusian was eliminated in the first round in Flushing Meadows.
Leylah Fernandez, the Canadian who lost to Raducanu in the U.S. Open final, is still in the Southern Californian desert after beating Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-3.
