Emma Raducanu’s record since US Open triumph makes for sad reading

Struggling British tennis star Emma Raducanu has lost more matches than she has won since becoming US Open champion two years ago. The 20-year-old prodigy became the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade in 1977 when, as a qualifier, she defeated Leylah Fernandez in straight sets at Flushing Meadows in 2021.

After announcing herself as the new star of British tennis, Raducanu reached the world rankings top 10 in July 2022 but has been on a downward trajectory ever since.

Since becoming the first qualifier to win a Gland Slam title in the Open era, her professional record consists of 24 wins and 28 losses. Sustained poor form has now seen her drop outside the top 100.

In contrast, Fernandez has a record of 36 wins and 26 losses since she was defeated by Raduncau in the New York Slam final two years ago. The 20-year-old is currently ranked 50th.

Raducanu’s game has been blighted by injuries since the turn of the year and she recently confirmed that she would undergo surgery on both hands and her left ankle in an effort to fix her issues comprehensively.

The surgery means that the Brit will miss both the French Open and Wimbledon, in another disappointing blow for her fans. Once recovered, the Toronto-born prodigy will have a huge task on her hands as she tries to catch up with current world number one Iga Swiatek. The Polish superstar has a record of 96 wins and just 17 defeats since Raducanu was crowned US Open Champion – a clear example of the immense fitness and consistency required to reach the very pinnacle of the sport.

But despite her obvious woes, former British number one Johanna Konta believes that the current holder of that position can bounce back stronger after recovering from surgery.

Konta told Sky Sports: “Overall, I can imagine that this surgery wasn’t a surprise for Emma. She’s probably had enough time to work up her feelings and go through everything in her head so now it’s going to be the big recovery process. I don’t think it would have been a shock to her which is why she seems in decent spirits.

“I don’t think her age is a worry. Because she is 20, she’s got a long time because she’s at the early stages of her career. She’s going to have enough time to keep building up her body, keep building up her strength. Obviously, you don’t want to be young and having surgery.

“However, there have been a lot of athletes throughout history that have had surgery young and they still come back stronger, come back better and do brilliant things in the sport. It is a hurdle, but one that she is well equipped to overcome and she has time on her side.”