Emma Raducanu has admitted she “needs to get her head in the game” for the start of Wimbledon after her heartbreaking loss at Eastbourne on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old lost to teenager Maya Joint in a three-set tiebreaker, losing 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4) after a late rally from the Briton.
Former US Open champion Raducanu looked to be heading to an early finish when she was quickly swept to 5-2 down in the deciding set. But she rallied and managed to fight back to force the tiebreaker and show a good fight to her fans ahead of playing at the All-England Club.
"Unfortunately I couldn't get over the line today but I can get some rest ahead of next week," she said.
Emma Raducanu put on a hard fought challenge
Reuters
The British star could not make it two comeback wins in as many days, having already fought back in the first round from a set down to pull off an emotional win.
Wimbledon begins on Monday, June 30, leaving Raducanu with a tight turnaround, but the 22-year-old appears to need the rest.
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She said on Tuesday she had received “some really bad news” which knocked her mentally.
"I feel quite tired. Just going through some stuff and I need to do my best to get my head in the game ahead of next week," she said.
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Maya Joint beat the British No1 to progress at Eastbourne
Reuters
"Realistically, the turnaround is pretty soon - it's only four days away really that Wimbledon starts.
"I think I'm just going to start with [a day off] tomorrow and then hopefully I can get on the court on Friday."
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Joint went on to praise Raducanu in her post-match interview:
She said: “Today was really tough, there was a lot of ups and downs, I was happy I was able to tough it out at the end.
Emma Raducanu has been struggling with back issues in the lead up to Wimbledon
Reuters
“I am really glad I was able to win this match.”
Raducanu will be looking for a positive return to SW19, however, a back injury has led to concerns she may have to withdraw from the competition should it worsen.
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