Emma Raducanu was defeated in the first round of the 2026 French Open by Argentina's Solana Sierra with a score of 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) on May 24, 2026 at Roland Garros [1, 2, 3]. Raducanu, ranked No. 39 in the world, was overwhelmed in the first set, which lasted only about 23 to 25 minutes, failing to win a game and committing 15 unforced errors without hitting any winners [1, 2, 3].
In the second set, Raducanu staged a strong recovery after falling behind by two breaks and forced a tiebreak, but ultimately lost 7-4 in the breaker [1, 3]. The match was played in approximately 30-degree Celsius heat, conditions that added to Raducanu's challenges on court [2, 3]. Raducanu's aggressive style involved hitting early in rallies but showed a lack of patience to wait for better chances [2].
Raducanu had limited preparation on clay, having played only one clay-court match prior to Roland Garros, a first-round loss at the Strasbourg Open on May 17 [1, 2, 4, 3]. She was also affected by a lingering cough and lack of match fitness after missing over two months of the 2026 season due to a post-viral illness that began in March [1, 2, 4, 3]. Raducanu said ahead of the tournament that playing the French Open was part of facing the tough stages of her recovery: "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, and hopefully come out on the other side better and stronger" [2].
Earlier in June, Raducanu rehired coach Andrew Richardson, who coached her to the 2021 US Open title [1, 2]. Raducanu described herself as feeling "a lot better" health-wise despite still some coughing, adding her physical condition held up well during the two-hour match at Strasbourg [4].
Solana Sierra, ranked about No. 62-68, brought greater clay-court experience and will now face whichever player wins between Jasmine Paolini and Dayana Yastremska in the second round [1, 4, 3].
