Emma Raducanu showed incredible determination and grit as she battled through illness and a demanding three-set match to secure her place in the second round of the French Open, setting up a high-profile clash with defending champion Iga Swiatek.
The 22-year-old Brit was facing China’s Wang Xinyu and was up 6-5 in the opening set when she called for medical assistance. Clearly unwell, Raducanu was seen applying ice to her face and undergoing a blood pressure check during a medical time-out, sparking concerns she might be forced to withdraw.
Despite looking visibly drained, Raducanu returned to court after just a few minutes of treatment and promptly served out the first set to love — a remarkable show of resilience given the circumstances.
Wang responded strongly, taking the second set and threatening to shift the momentum entirely. But on a tightly packed Court Eight, with the crowd firmly behind her, Raducanu found another gear and fought her way to a hard-earned 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory. The contest lasted two hours and 44 minutes, matching the longest clay-court battle of her young career.
Speaking after the match, Raducanu admitted it was one of the toughest tests she’s faced. “Honestly, I’m really proud of how I handled today,” she said. “I woke up feeling awful, really sick, and I could feel it from the very start of the match. It never really eased up, so I’m happy I didn’t let that defeat me.”
She added, “It would’ve been easy to let it get to me, but I kept pushing. The past few days I haven’t felt great, and I think I’m managing a few things physically. Now I just need some rest and recovery ahead of Wednesday.”
Raducanu has recently been dealing with a lingering back issue from last week’s tournament in Strasbourg. To help manage the pain, she’s even pushed past her fear of needles to try acupuncture — a sign of her growing commitment to staying on the court.
Though her movement remained sharp, her energy dipped noticeably in the second set. Wang, ranked just below Raducanu at No. 43 in the world, took advantage to race to a 5-1 lead. While Raducanu bravely clawed back both breaks, Wang eventually closed out the set.
After a brief off-court break before the third, Raducanu came back refreshed, broke serve early, and despite missing two match points on her own serve, sealed the win after a costly double fault from Wang.
It was a gutsy performance under pressure and a powerful reminder of Raducanu’s fighting spirit.
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