British tennis star Emma Raducanu suffered an early exit at the Internationaux de Strasbourg after losing 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) to France’s Diane Parry on Tuesday.
The match marked Raducanu’s first appearance on clay this season and her return to the WTA Tour after spending more than two months out due to a post-viral illness.
Despite making a bright start, the former US Open champion struggled to maintain consistency as Parry fought back strongly in front of her home supporters.
Raducanu took an early 4-2 lead in the opening set, showing sharp movement and confidence from the baseline. However, Parry responded with aggressive play and capitalised on several unforced errors and double faults from the British No. 1 to take control of the contest.
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The second set was closely contested, with both players exchanging service breaks in a tense battle. Raducanu managed to force a tie-break after saving a match point opportunity for Parry, but the Frenchwoman kept her composure to seal victory in straight sets.
Parry, ranked World No. 94, entered the tournament in strong form after recently winning the Clarins WTA 125 title in Paris. The victory also served as revenge for her loss to Raducanu during their Billie Jean King Cup meeting in 2024.
The tournament also marked the return of coach Andrew Richardson to Raducanu’s team. Richardson famously guided her to the 2021 US Open title, and the reunion comes as the British star prepares for a busy summer schedule.
Raducanu will now shift her focus to the upcoming French Open, which begins later this month, hoping to build momentum despite the disappointing result in Strasbourg.
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