‘It Was Blowing’- Emma Raducanu Blames Windy Conditions and Blisters for Shock First Round Exit at US Open 2022

Emma Raducanu is currently carrying the hopes of many tennis fans who believe she is the future of WTA. Though her entire season has been nothing but a disappointment. Whenever she seemed to have a grip on her game, some or other kind of injury threw her back to square one. Something of the same sort has happened in her first round defeat at the US Open as well.

Raducanu, the defending champion, was again hurdled by an injury that pestered her during the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open. In addition to that, the weather also played the devil in her opening match at the US Open. Here’s what she had to say about the factors that pushed her towards a first-round exit.

Emma Raducanu analyzes her US Open match

While speaking in the post-match press conference, Raducanu opened up about the things that affected her game. She said, “I’ve been getting some blisters, like, throughout the weeks in the States. But I think that’s just down to humidity and stuff.”

Earlier this year at the Australian Open, the British tennis ace during her second round clash with Danka Kovinic suffered a similar discomfort: a blister on her dominant hand and lost control of her play.

She continued, “I got a new one. But, like, you know, you tape it up and move on it. It’s a blister. Not much you can do about it. It is what it is. Sometimes these things happen in these conditions.”

Thereafter, she was questioned if the wind affected her game. To which she replied, “I think it was quite windy. It was blowing, like, from back-to-front. It was quite difficult for me, especially to find my ball toss. I think I was hitting quite a lot of serves long. I just struggled to adapt to it, really.”

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“It’s something that both players have to kind of deal with. She just dealt with it better than me today,” Raducanu added. The British no.1 incurred a straight set defeat in the first round of the US Open. Her opponent, Alizé Cornet, the French tennis professional and Bad Homburg semifinalist, took an easy 6-3 6-3 win and advanced in the Grand Slam.

Raducanu’s injury setbacks in the current season

Raducanu has been dealing with several injuries for quite some time now. In 2021, she faced some breathing difficulties during the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships. Following that, the wrist injury in Australia and then came the gruesome hip injury in the Guadalajara Open.

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The 19-year-old had to walk out of the tournament after playing a 3 hour 36 minute long match against Australian Daria Saville. Thereafter, in the summer doubles, she struggled with a stiff back and in the Italian Open a back injury halted her progress. Speaking of the grass, she started her journey with a side strain.

Hopefully, the early exit from the last Grand Slam of the season will give Raducanu enough time to recuperate from a disappointing season. Do you think the Brit will make a strong comeback next season?