What will Emma Raducanu’s ranking be for the French Open? Brit suffers Strasbourg setback on WTA Tour return
Emma Raducanu lost her first match back on the WTA Tour for more than two months with a straight-sets loss to Diane Parry in Strasbourg.
The 2021 US Open champion last played in March at Indian Wells, before being sidelined with a post-viral illness.
Just when it seemed the 23-year-old would make her return to the tour at the Italian Open, Raducanu pulled out less than an hour after her pre-tournament press conference.
Since then, she has reunited with former coach Andrew Richardson, who guided her to a US Open triumph nearly five years ago.
But her wait for another win on the WTA Tour goes on after losing 6-4 7-6 (4) to wildcard Parry on Tuesday. So, how does this result affect her ranking heading into the French Open?
More Emma Raducanu news
EXCLUSIVE: Emma Raducanu gets verdict on her physical struggles from leading expert after post-viral issues
Emma Raducanu has made an important decision – what comes next could define her future in tennis
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
After being absent for months now, Raducanu’s ranking has, naturally, taken a hit. On paper, this is a match she should be winning, with Parry only just inside the world’s top 100 – although her career high is 48.
But the Frenchwoman is coming off the back of a WTA 125 Paris win last week and looked the more composed of the two players.
Raducanu, on the other hand, was struggling for consistency and rhythm, as the Brit made nine double faults and had a second serve win percentage of 36.7.
She did, however, save 16 of 21 break points she faced but converted just four of her nine opportunities on Parry’s serve.
The fact that she broke back when Parry served for the match in the second set, and how she battled for more than 2hrs 30 on court, will be a source of positivity for Raducanu.
Heading into Roland Garros, she is currently at 37th in the live rankings, which means she will be unseeded in Paris.
The Bromley-born player has never been past the second round at the French Open and after having just one match before the tournament, she has not had ideal preparation.
But the former world No 10 may be targeting more success during the grass court season, where she tends to be more of a threat.
GO DEEPER: Wimbledon prize money move may keep WTA and ATP stars ‘quiet’ amid boycott calls
