Emma Raducanu fought back tears after crashing out of the French Open and admitted she is simply "trying my best each day" following another painful setback in her difficult comeback season.
The British No 1 endured a nightmare start at Roland Garros as she slumped to the first opening-round defeat of her career in Paris against Solana Sierra.
Raducanu was blown away in a disastrous opening set, failing to win a single game while producing no winners and 15 unforced errors in a one-sided display.
The 23-year-old looked completely overwhelmed by the conditions early on and appeared in danger of suffering one of the heaviest defeats of her career when she trailed 6-0 4-1.
To her credit, Raducanu battled back impressively in the second set and forced a tie-break after finally settling into the match.
But Sierra ultimately completed a 6-0 7-6 victory as Raducanu's miserable afternoon came to an end.
The former US Open champion later appeared emotional in her post-match press conference as she reflected on another difficult chapter in her rollercoaster career.
"It's very difficult," Raducanu admitted when asked how she continues picking herself back up after repeated setbacks.
Emma Raducanu fought back tears after crashing out of the French Open and admitted she is simply "trying my best each day" following another painful setback in her difficult comeback season | TNTSPORTS
Emma Raducanu struggled at the French Open this year after being plagued by injuries beforehand
|REUTERS
"You need a lot of resilience.
"I'm trying my best each day, and that's all I can ask of myself."
The Brit struggled to fully explain her collapse during the opening set and admitted she still had not properly processed the defeat.
"It was difficult," she said.
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Five things to know about British tennis star Emma Raducanu | PA"I don't think I've fully processed it yet, so it's hard to speak about the match right now."
Raducanu also pointed to a lack of confidence and match sharpness after playing just once in the previous two-and-a-half months following a post-viral illness.
The clay conditions in Paris appeared to cause her major problems from the outset.
"I felt like the conditions were extremely lively and I felt like I wasn't able to trust my shots," she explained.
"I didn't feel like I had control over the ball."
Raducanu has continued to battle lingering physical issues in recent weeks and is still dealing with a persistent cough that was aggravated by the clay dust at Roland Garros.
Her reunion with former coach Andrew Richardson earlier this week had raised hopes of a positive return after their memorable success together in New York back in 2021.
But the lack of competitive tennis was painfully evident against Sierra, who arrived in Paris with far greater rhythm and confidence.
Solana Sierra is through to the second round of the French Open
|REUTERS
Raducanu insisted she does not regret returning for the clay season despite the difficult result.
"The only way to face and improve how I'm feeling is to go through the tough parts, to go through the pain of it," she said.
"And hopefully come out on the other side better and stronger."
The British star will now switch her focus to the grass-court season, where she has traditionally enjoyed more success.
Raducanu is expected to return at the HSBC Championships at Queen's Club next month as she attempts to rebuild momentum ahead of Wimbledon.