Tired Emma feels the pace in Madrid

TENNIS Emma Raducanu saw the progress made at the recent Stuttgart Open stall after she collapsed to a straight-sets defeat by Maria Lourdes Carle at the Madrid Open.

The Brit exited last week’s tournament in Germany in the quarterfinals but that encouraging form deserted her yesterday as she was crushed 6-2 6-2 by her Argentinian opponent, who is ranked 83 in the world.

The 2021 US Open champion produced an error-strewn display on the clay at Manzanares Park. The 21-year-old, who endured an injury-hit 2023, was viewed as a strong favourite against qualifier Carle only to make 19 unforced errors in the first set alone. And, having spoken before the tournament of her tiredness due to the volume of matches this year, she was unable to rally in an equally one-sided second set.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal has cast doubt on the likelihood of a farewell appearance at the French Open.

The 14-time champion returned to action in Barcelona last week after suffering another hip issue at his comeback tournament in January following a year out. But ahead of the Madrid Open, the 37-year-old said: “If I arrive in Paris the way I feel today, I will not play. I will play Roland Garros if I feel competitive. If I can play, I play. If I can’t play, I can’t.”