Emma Raducanu suffered a 6-4 7-6 (7-4) defeat to Diane Parry of France in her first clay tournament of 2026 at the Internationaux de Strasbourg on Tuesday.
Raducanu was making her return to the WTA Tour after missing more than two months with a post-viral illness.
The former US Open champion accepted a replacement spot in the WTA 500 event, and she was joined by Andrew Richardson after reappointing the US Open-winning coach.
Parry headed into the clash with Raducanu having clinched the Clarins WTA 125 in Paris on Sunday after her opponent Madison Keys was unable to continue the final despite winning the first set.
Wearing heavy strapping on her left thigh, the French No 4 appeared fatigued from her travels, compared to her opponent, who was playing her first match since a thrashing at the hands of Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells.
Raducanu, who has slipped to 37th in the rankings, looked sharp with her movement and received an early tonic by breaking for a 4-2 lead in the opening set.
But the British No 1 yielded her advantage in the next game, and with the court drying out after an early start in Strasbourg, a third double fault from Raducanu followed by a thumping Parry forehand secured a third consecutive break, but more importantly it gave the Frenchwomen a chance to serve for the set.
World No 94 Parry snuffed out a couple of break points for Raducanu, and urged on by her home fans, she sealed the set in 56 minutes of a fluctuating back-and-forth clash.
Raducanu regathered her thoughts to compose herself and pounce for a 4-2 advantage, but in a mirror image of the opening set the 23-year-old gifted Parry an immediate break back.
The double faults were mounting up for Raducanu and an eighth followed by a wild forehand gave Parry an opportunity to serve it out, but a superb return game denied the Frenchwoman as the Briton drew level at 5-5.
They traded service breaks once again in a match of intense drama, as the contest headed into a tie-break.
Despite a valiant effort from Raducanu, it was Parry who capitalised on a couple of errors to seal the win and avenge her defeat to the Brit in a Billie Jean King Cup qualifying rubber in 2024.
Raducanu will now head into the French Open, which begins on May 24, with only one clay-court match under her belt.
Henman: Raducanu coaching change comes at perfect time
Former British No 1 Tim Henman recently backed Raducanu’s decision to reappoint Richardson ahead of a huge summer of tennis.
Raducanu was strongly criticised for axing Richardson shortly after her stunning win in New York in 2021. At the time, the now 23-year-old said she felt she needed someone with WTA Tour experience, but, nearly five years and a host of short-term appointments later, Raducanu has again turned to Richardson.
“Grateful to have reconnected with someone who has known me for over a decade now and looking forward to building together one iteration at a time,” said Raducanu.
It continues a pattern of Raducanu favouring coaches who she worked with prior to her rapid ascent to superstardom – a decision that four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Henman views as the right call.
“I think it’s great that Andrew is back to support Emma and all I can say is I hope it lasts a bit longer,” Henman said on Sky Sports.
“They had an incredible run in America all those years ago and it stopped working after that. She’s been through a lot of other coaches between now and then.
“They obviously have a relationship from the past – Emma obviously trusts Andrew – and I think that consistency and continuity is really important, especially at this time of year.
“She’s got the French Open coming up, but then the grass-court season, where the spotlight is going to be at its most intense – pre-Wimbledon and at Wimbledon.”
Former British No 1 Laura Robson feels Raducanu’s decision to reunite with Richardson will help her feel more relaxed knowing a “familiar voice”.
She said: “At this stage she’s trying to come back from a long-term illness over the last couple of months, so to come back with a familiar voice, someone who you trust already, someone who you’ve been through so much with, probably feels quite relaxing in a way.
“To have the same ideas of what they’re trying to do with her game on the court makes a big difference. Clearly it’s worked in the past so why not give it round two?”
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
