Emma Raducanu's Painful US Open Defeat

Emma Raducanu, who lost to Sofia Kenin in the  US Open first round, sobbed as she said she will   try to "manage my schedule differently." After taking the trophy three years ago,   the 21-year-old is still yet  to triumph at the US Open.  With her first competitive match since  August 2, last night's loss highlights   Raducanu's choice to skip tournament  action in the weeks preceding the US Open. After the loss, Raducanu said, "I would have  preferred to probably play a little bit more   before coming into the US Open." Like any player, I know that after  a string of successful matches,   you feel great and like everything  goes without a hitch. Thus, yes,   I believe I can use what I've learned from  it and adjust how I handle my schedule. When asked if it was a team or a  personal choice for Raducanu to head   back to London after Washington instead  of playing qualifying in Cincinnati,   he answered, "I would say it wasn't me."  Indeed, that was more of a communal cry,   and that is what transpired. In  actuality, you cannot alter it. Raducanu, trying to convey her feelings after  this loss, broke down in tears and remarked,   "I feel down... I feel depressed. It goes without  saying that I want to do well in this competition. 2020 saw her opponent, 25-year-old Kenin,  win the Australian Open; nevertheless,   due to a number of problems, she is  currently ranked outside of the top 50. She was nevertheless able to pose challenges  for Raducanu during the competition. In the second set, Raducanu calmed down and  played more patiently. Between points, she   spoke with coach Nick Cavaday practically non stop  as they tried to break through the Kenin defense. In the third set, she had  a break point to lead 2-0,   but once Kenin got her nose  in front, she was at ease. After her title defense faltered  in the first round, Raducanu,   who was absent at the US Open the previous  year, acknowledged that she still hadn't   "come to terms" with her 2021 victory. "Coming  here makes me feel so proud," she continued. "Seeing my name on the trophy and  passing my picture every day." I   find that to be such a monumental accomplishment. Days before, Raducanu called Andy Murray's  career "old news" and asserted that tennis   had "moved on" from his period of British  tennis. This defeat occurred today. The Scot's career at SW19 came to an end when  Raducanu controversially withdrew from the mixed   doubles match against Murray at Wimbledon, just  before his final match at the Paris Olympics. However, Raducanu stated before the first major  since 2005 that British tennis has not had Murray   in charge: "It doesn't feel different at all."  That's how unforgiving tennis is. Whatever your   identity, it simply moves on. There's always  going to be another game, another competition. "I saw Andy win this tournament in 2012, so  of course he's accomplished amazing things,   but life moves quickly." That kind  of event is old news by the next day. Raducanu's withdrawal from the Wimbledon  mixed doubles, ending his career at the   tournament, was previously referred to  as "astonishing" by Murray's mother Judy. Judy turned to social media after  the British tennis player revealed,   citing "stiffness in her wrist,"  that she was withdrawing from the   competition just hours before their  scheduled No. 1 Court appearance. The legendary British tennis player, who just  waved goodbye to fans on Centre Court in tears,   said he was "absolutely devastated" by the   news and that it had become "too  tough" for him to play any longer. Participating in the mixed doubles with Raducanu,   who had earlier declared it was a "dream"  to join up with him, had given him hope   for some sort of atonement before the shocking  statement that has split people on social media. In a statement, Raducanu said: "I have to  make the difficult decision to withdraw from   the mixed doubles tonight because this morning I  woke up with some stiffness in my right wrist." "I'm sad because I really wanted to play  with Andy, but I had to be careful." Sports anchor Marcus Buckland posted on X,  the previous Twitter platform, following   the announcement of the decision, saying it was  "astonishing news that Emma Raducanu has withdrawn   from her mixed doubles match with Andy Murray."  She reports having pain in her right wrist. It indicates that Murray has  concluded his Wimbledon career. Oh no! Judy Murray, Andy Murray's mother, responded  to this by writing, "Yes, astonishing." Raducanu, who broke up with her rich  lover Carlo Agostinelli in June,   has had a challenging few months. Additionally, it is said that Raducanu  has blocked her 23-year-old ex-boyfriend   on social media. Robert Agostinelli is  a businessman who is the chairman and   co-founder of the private equity  firm Rhone Group, and his son. The tennis sensation withdrew from  the French Open this month in order   to focus on her fitness for the upcoming  hard-court and grass-court seasons. She   had to miss about eight months of  activity last year owing to surgery. Raducanu failed to replicate  her US Open success from 2021,   but she still managed to make around £10  million last year from sponsorship deals. Despite having a challenging year on the tennis  court, she saw a sharp increase in her income   last year due to sponsorship and endorsement  partnerships with companies like Porsche,   Nike, British Airways, Evian,  Dior, Tiffany, and Vodafone. According to financial statements released  by her company Harbour 6 for the year   ending in February 2023, her wealth increased  dramatically from £667,000 to £10.2 million. She has been accused of spending too much time   spinning money off the court rather  than developing as a tennis player. Her management team, however, disputes this,  claiming that she lost out on sponsorship   agreements worth "millions of dollars,"  according to her agent Max Eisenbud. Since Raducanu has previously disclosed  that she was prohibited from having lovers   as a child, it is assumed that  her connection with Agostinelli,   a former head boy of the prestigious Harrow  School, was her most serious to date.

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