Emma Raducanu and her French Open opponent Iga Swiatek reportedly had a strained moment following their match, characterized by what was described as a “cold handshake”.
The 22-year-old Raducanu suffered a decisive 6-1, 6-2 loss to the 23-year-old Swiatek in the second round encounter held on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The two tennis stars had an awkward exchange during their traditional post-match meeting.
Former British No. 1 Annabel Croft noted on the BBC the clear lack of warmth between the British and Polish players when they shook hands.
Croft commented: “That was quite a cold handshake. There was no warmth there between the two players. It was quite dismissive, almost just a handshake and then a walk off.”
She added, “Once Iga Swiatek got a breakthrough in this match, she just stamped her authority on it.”
Raducanu`s confidence was understandably low after the heavy defeat, leading her to make a candid post-match admission.
The champion of the 2021 US Open stated she felt “exposed” on the court and acknowledged the significant distance she still needs to cover in her development as a player.
Raducanu remarked: “It was a really difficult match. Iga played really well. It was tough.
“I think in the beginning of the match it was pretty tight. As it went on I think she grew in confidence. I just felt a bit exposed.
“It was the first time playing a match on that court. It’s different and it’s new for me.
“It’s a surrounding that she’s obviously very comfortable with and she’s played in it a lot of times.
“I did emphasise beforehand, me feeling a bit uncomfortable. But it’s a good experience if I ever play on that court again.
“You just don’t really feel like there is that much space on the court and in certain moments, you overhit, you just feel constant pressure.
“I definitely think I can improve certain areas of my game to maybe make me feel like I have less holes.
“I’m just going to try my best to work on that. It just shows, I guess, the distance that I have to improve.”
