EMMA IS CLAY CAUGHT OUT

Raducanu crashes again and admits ‘it’s tough with a target on your back’

EMMA RADUCANU said au revoir to the red clay of the French Open and her first year on tour yesterday with a defeat which came with a sense of deja vu.

But the US champion insisted she is already looking forward to her sophomore year, starting back on the green grass of home.

Her debut year has delivered remarkable highlights at Wimbledon and New

York. Yet her 3-6 6-1

6-1 defeat by world

No.47 Aliaksandra

Sasnovich (right) on

Court Suzanne

Lenglen is a truer reflection of her current level.

She now has a 9-14 losing record since her US Open triumph but claimed she will return to Wimbledon with “a target” on her back

The world No.12 has failed to reach the third round in the two Grand Slams since her New York triumph, or win three matches in any of her 14 tournaments.

And the British 19-year-old said: “Everyone wants to beat you and take you out. But some parts of my tennis game have actually improved compared to last year. It’s different when you are someone who might have a target on their back. Everyone raises their game, wants to beat you, wants to take you out.

“That’s something I have had to accept. I’m exactly the same person as I was 12 months ago.

“Things around me have kind of changed, but I’m the same person. I just feel like I’ve got a lot more awareness and more experience now.

“It’s going to be really nice to go home and play on home grass.”

Raducanu has never settled on a coach, and tennis great John Mcenroe said: “She has changed three, four or five times which is unbelievable for someone coming off winning a Major.

“Honestly, if I won the US Open having gone through qualifying, I wouldn’t change my coach at least for the next year, so I don’t understand that move.

“This idea of a revolving door of coaches isn’t good for any player, much less so for a player at this stage of her career.”