Emma Raducanu, once a beacon of brilliance on the grand stage of Arthur Ashe Stadium, found herself overwhelmed by the gravity of an early exit at the US Open, shedding tears as she came to grips with a heart-wrenching first-round defeat. The weight of her ambitions was evident when she confessed, “This is a tournament I really want to do well in.”

Three years removed from her record-setting triumph in 2021, Raducanu’s attempts to recapture the magic of her Flushing Meadows run have been thwarted at every turn. On Tuesday night, her aspirations were dashed by Sofia Kenin, another player whose early success at the 2020 Australian Open has since been elusive. Now ranked No. 54 in the world, Kenin arrived in New York amidst a string of discouraging losses—six defeats out of her last seven matches. However, the spotlight of the Grandstand Court seemed to reinvigorate her, as she orchestrated Raducanu’s downfall with a masterful blend of drop shots, aces, and unrelenting baseline pressure.

Kenin’s approach was nothing short of surgical—she dismantled Raducanu’s defenses with precision, her aggressive and accurate play leaving the former champion struggling to find her footing. The match concluded with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory for Kenin, a result that left Raducanu visibly emotional in the post-match press conference, where she wiped away tears and reflected on her journey.

Despite the bitter disappointment, Raducanu faced the media with remarkable composure, acknowledging her missteps rather than shying away from the tough questions. She candidly admitted to mismanaging her preparation, having taken a three-and-a-half-week hiatus following her quarter-final loss in Washington earlier this month. “I would have preferred to probably play a little bit more,” Raducanu remarked, hinting at the importance of match rhythm in her game. “When I have a lot of matches, just like every player, you feel really good. You feel like everything’s automatic. So yeah, I think I can learn from it and manage my schedule slightly differently.”

When asked whether her decision to forgo the Masters events in Toronto and Cincinnati was entirely her own, Raducanu hesitated. “I would say it wasn’t me. It was more of a collective call and, yeah, that’s what happened. You can’t really change it,” she conceded, suggesting that her team might have had a hand in the choice—perhaps out of concern that qualifying losses could damage her brand.

Raducanu’s competitive edge has been dulled by an unorthodox approach to her training regimen. Rather than amassing match experience, she has spent much of the year working behind closed doors at the National Tennis Centre in London, under the guidance of her coach, Nick Cavaday. Their focus on technical improvements has, at times, seemed more akin to laboratory experiments than preparation for the unpredictable challenges of matchplay.

Tuesday’s match against Kenin exemplified the pitfalls of this approach. Kenin, known for her ability to disrupt an opponent’s rhythm, brought an intensity that Raducanu struggled to match. Though she displayed moments of tactical astuteness—particularly in the second set, where she slowed the pace and forced Kenin into errors—Raducanu was ultimately outmaneuvered.

Kenin, despite moments of visible frustration, maintained her aggressive strategy, particularly in the decisive third set, where she unleashed 18 clean winners, predominantly with her potent forehand. Raducanu, on the other hand, faltered at critical junctures, her tentative play highlighted by a botched overhead in the penultimate service game—a moment that left her visibly deflated.

Reflecting on the match, Raducanu acknowledged Kenin’s superior performance, noting the consistency and intensity that had taken her by surprise. “Credit to her,” Raducanu admitted. “There was no let–up, whereas in previous matches that we’ve watched her play, the level wasn’t constant from the start to the end. There were a lot more fluctuations, whereas today, I felt like she was pretty on it the whole time. She was better than me, and that’s it.”

Raducanu’s journey at this year’s US Open has ended in disappointment, but her candid reflections suggest a player who is acutely aware of the adjustments needed to regain her former glory. As she departs from Flushing Meadows, the tennis world watches closely, hoping that this chapter of her career will be a stepping stone to greater heights rather than a tale of unfulfilled potential.