Anne Keothavong thinks Emma Raducanu could have absolutely done some things better in her Madrid first-round loss as the British Billie Jean King Cup team captain criticized the 21-year-old over “emotionally checking out” late in the match.
On Wednesday, Raducanu crashed out of the Madrid Open in a pretty stunning way after qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle saw off the Briton 6-2 6-2. The outcome of the match was pretty shocking in many ways as Raducanu arrived in Madrid in great form and she also entered the match as the clear favorite against 82nd-ranked Carle, who had never before registered a WTA 1000 win.
After suffering five breaks of serve against Carle during a brutal two-set defeat and overall delivering a pretty poor display, Raducanu said all the demands of the Billie Jean King Cup and Stuttgart, and then traveling to Madrid, left her feeling very tired and exhausted – which directly impacted her Madrid performance.
Emma Raducanu © Getty Images Sport – Clive Brunskill
Keothavong to Raducanu: You can’t emotionally check out
Reflecting on Raducanu’s loss, Keothavong told the 21-year-old that if she plays she must be prepared to leave it all out there and that “emotionally checking out” is something she can never allow herself to happen.
“She’s made a meal of this match. She touched on the fact that ‘yes, I’m tired’ but do you talk yourself into more tiredness? On the one hand it’s good to acknowledge it but if you are going to go out on the match court you’ve got to be prepared to leave it all out there,” Keothavong said on Sky Sports.
“That willingness just didn’t seem evident. Should she have taken the wildcard? Maybe in hindsight it would have been better to take this week off and go to play qualifying in Rome. Those last few points, that’s just not good enough. That’s poor. You can’t emotionally check out.”
Emma Raducanu © Getty Images Sport – Alex Grimm
After her Madrid exit, Raducanu said she would take a few days off to rest and recharge before kicking off her preparation for the Rome Open.
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