The great challenge of professional tennis is not just performing at a high level but doing so week after week, regardless of the conditions, for a sustained period of time. Emma Raducanu has shown that she is capable of short bursts of excellence, but consistency and durability remain elusive. On Wednesday she suffered a comprehensive defeat in the first round of the Madrid Open, losing 6-2, 6-2 to María Lourdes Carlé, an Argentinian qualifier.
Raducanu had arrived in Madrid having led Great Britain to victory over France in the Billie Jean King Cup before reaching the quarter-final in Stuttgart, a WTA 500 event, only losing in two tight sets to Iga Swiatek, the world No 1. But here she put in a dire performance. She struggled to find her range, missing badly as her unforced errors piled up off both wings.
