Emma Raducanu's 2024 clay-court part of the season got off to a good start, but she couldn't follow up on that at the Madrid Open.
The British player started in the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers before moving to Stuttgart, where she competed at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. She lost to Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals, but it was a solid run from Raducanu.
After that, she moved to the Spanish capital to compete in a WTA 1000 tournament, the first on clay, and in the first round, she was given quite favourable but also challenging draw at the same time.
Maria Lourdes Carle is ranked only 82nd in the world, but she's a capable player on clay courts, and that's what she showed in the first-round match of the 2024 Madrid Open against Raducanu, and the 2021 US Open champion praised her opponent's performance after the match.
"It was a tough match because she played very well I thought. She’s a very experienced clay-courter and she has a lot more knowledge and experience on the surface. Credit to her, she played a great match and I definitely didn’t, so that’s how it is."
Still, like prior to the tournament, Raducanu admitted that fatigue probably played a role in her defeat, as she had to move a lot between cities and play many matches in recent weeks.
"The last few weeks have been a lot. Starting from the Billie Jean King Cup, I haven’t stopped. It’s just been back-to-back and I was very happy being able to help carry the team in the BJK Cup."
"Then straight to Stuttgart with no rest, then straight here and trying to adapt to the conditions which are very different because it’s outdoors and I was playing indoors for the last month. Many factors have made it very difficult to fully compete today but overall I’ve been playing pretty well.”
Despite trying to give it her best, it wasn't enough, and that's why the former Top 10 player called it "pretty brutal" as the sport isn't forgiving in this sense.
"I think from the performance today it was very clear that mentally and emotionally I was exhausted. I was trying to push through. I was pushing through Stuttgart and was just unable to push through today. So yeah, it’s a shame that I was feeling so good on the court and today happened, but I guess this sport is just pretty brutal."