Emma Raducanu knocked out in early rounds at Mutua Madrid Open by world No 82 Maria Lourdes Carle | Tennis News

Emma Raducanu’s clay-court journey came to an unexpected halt at the Madrid Open as she suffered a disappointing first-round defeat to world No 82 Maria Lourdes Carle. The former US Open champion, who had been in good form recently, winning four of her last five matches, was unable to find her rhythm and fell to a 6-2 6-2 loss on Wednesday.

Raducanu, who had been feeling tired leading up to the tournament, struggled to keep up with Carle’s aggressive play on Pista Arantxa Sanchez. With this victory, Carle made history as the first player from Argentina to defeat a former women’s Grand Slam singles champion since Nadia Podoroska’s win over Serena Williams in Rome three years ago.

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Despite Raducanu’s early exit from the Madrid Open, tennis enthusiasts can look forward to more thrilling matches and exclusive coverage on Sky Sports Tennis throughout the year.