- Emma Raducanu recently returned to football after eight months away with an injury
- The 21-year-old has made encouraging strides in her comeback so far
- But she exited the Abu Dhabi Open in the last 16 stage, losing to Ons Jabeur
Emma Raducanu showed signs of promise before being defeated by Ons Jabeur in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Open.
The former US Open champion scored a strong first-round victory against world number 26 Marie Bouzkova in her third tournament after nine months recovering from wrist and ankle injuries. But Jabeur, No. 2 seed and two-time Wimbledon finalist, was a class above, hitting 35 winners and just 11 unforced errors to win 6-4, 6-1.
But her 21-year-old opponent was impressive as she came back from a 5-1 deficit in the first set, saving four set points, and her backhand remains a formidable weapon.
After the fairytale of New York, the whirlwind of transitioning from A Level student to full-time WTA pro and the perhaps inevitable injuries that followed, this feels like the start of the second phase of Raducanu’s career.
Here’s hoping expectations – her own and those of the British public – are managed and she’s given the space to find her game through a more normal career path.
Emma Raducanu’s bid to reach the last eight of the Abu Dhabi Open was ended in straight sets by world number six Ons Jabeur
Jabeur was too good for Raducanu, but she continues to make strides in her return from injury
Raducanu served in the first game of the match to take a 40–15 lead, but missed two routine putaways to be dragged back to deuce, conceding the break with a huge double fault.
Frustratingly for the British player, it was precisely that match that ultimately proved to be the difference in a 6-4 first set.
Jabeur is known for her magic box of drop shots and slices, but it was the flat power of her struck forehand that did most of the damage.
“She didn’t make it easy for me,” the 29-year-old Tunisian said after the match. “I’m a big fan of Emma and I know she can play better.”
Raducanu has now lost in the second round in five of her last eight tournaments. Although they are at opposite poles in their careers, she has resembled Andy Murray in recent years when it comes to her struggle to string together results.
Jabeur called Raducanu a “great player” and wished her the best in the future
Meanwhile, in Lausanne, former Wimbledon champion and world champion Simona Halep began her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a four-year doping ban. The 32-year-old Romanian has been provisionally suspended since October 2022 after he tested positive for roxadustat, a banned drug that stimulates the production of red blood cells.
Her hearing will last three days. If it fails, it will likely mean the end of Halep’s great career.