Emma Raducanu, of Britain, returns a shot to Alize Cornet, of France, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Aug. 30, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

Emma Raducanu was visibly emotional during her post-match press conference following her defeat to Sofia Kenin, with a score of 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, in the opening round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday night. This loss leaves the 2021 champion still seeking her first victory at the tournament since her remarkable title win.

“I feel down. I feel sad,” Raducanu expressed, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. “This is a tournament where I really want to perform well.”

Three years prior, Raducanu made history at the U.S. Open as an 18-year-old, becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title. However, she faced an early exit in 2022 against Alizé Cornet and was unable to compete last year due to surgeries on both wrists and an ankle.

In this match, Raducanu struggled to maintain her momentum against Kenin, an American who triumphed at the Australian Open in 2020.

“I’m mentally very strong, and I believe that’s something I’ve always possessed,” Kenin remarked, despite having lost six of her last seven matches before arriving at the U.S. Open. “I entered the match with confidence, and I truly believed I could secure the win.”

Kenin concluded the match with 45 winners, nearly double the 24 achieved by Raducanu.

“She’s a Grand Slam champion for a reason... I have to give her credit,” Raducanu remarked, noting that she had not participated in any tour matches since her defeat in Washington on August 2.

Raducanu acknowledged that the decision to remain inactive might have been a misstep, attributing it to a “collective” choice made by her team.

Her upcoming competition will be the Korea Open, scheduled to take place in Seoul starting September 16.

“Until then, I plan to return to the drawing board to train and assess where I went wrong, aiming to enhance my performance for the remainder of the season,” Raducanu stated. “While the Grand Slams are concluded for this year, it won’t be long before the Australian Open arrives at the beginning of the next season.”