Following her straight-sets defeat to Iga Swiatek at the French Open, Emma Raducanu`s post-match interaction with her opponent has been described as a “cold handshake” and “dismissive” moment.
The 22-year-old British player was eliminated from the second round at Court Philippe-Chatrier after a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory by the 23-year-old Polish world No. 1.
The conclusion of the match saw an awkward exchange between the two tennis stars.
Former British No. 1 Annabel Croft, observing for the BBC, highlighted the lack of warmth during the traditional handshake at the net.
Croft commented: “That was quite a cold handshake. There was no warmth there between the two players. It was quite dismissive, almost just a handshake and then a walk off.”
She added that Swiatek asserted her dominance once she gained momentum in the match: “Once Iga Swiatek got a breakthrough in this match, she just stamped her authority on it.”
Raducanu was visibly disheartened by the comprehensive loss to Swiatek and offered a candid assessment of her performance and current standing in the sport.
The 2021 US Open champion felt “exposed” on the court and admitted she still has significant progress to make.
Raducanu stated: “It was a really difficult match. Iga played really well. It was tough. I think in the beginning of the match it was pretty tight. As it went on I think she grew in confidence. I just felt a bit exposed.”
Reflecting on the venue, she noted: “It was the first time playing a match on that court. It’s different and it’s new for me. It’s a surrounding that she’s obviously very comfortable with and she’s played in it a lot of times.”
Despite feeling “a bit uncomfortable” beforehand, Raducanu viewed it as a valuable lesson: “It’s a good experience if I ever play on that court again.”
She described the pressure, saying: “You just don’t really feel like there is that much space on the court and in certain moments, you overhit, you just feel constant pressure.”
Looking ahead, Raducanu emphasized the need for improvement: “I definitely think I can improve certain areas of my game to maybe make me feel like I have less holes. I’m just going to try my best to work on that. It just shows, I guess, the distance that I have to improve.”
