"I should be proud of the effort I put in," Raducanu reflects on her defeat against Sabalenka at Wimbledon

Despite a high-quality match, Emma Raducanu couldn’t overcome the mountain that is Aryna Sabalenka. The world No. 1 was challenged throughout the entire match but ultimately prevailed in two sets (7-6, 6-4).

This loss will sting for the Brit, who had a set point in the first set and led 4-1 in the second. During the press conference, the 2021 US Open champion reflected on her defeat, which will haunt her for days to come.

"It’s hard to find positives just minutes after a loss; it’s tough to shake off this result. But at the same time, I have to remind myself that I played against Aryna (Sabalenka), the world No. 1 and a great champion.

I should be proud of the effort I put in. This match should give me confidence for the future. Before, the issue was that I felt very far from the level of the best players in the world, but after a match like this—with opportunities in both sets—maybe I’m not as far off as I thought.

I admit it’s hard to accept today’s (Friday) result, even though I realized grass is a good surface for me. I’m not thinking differently, but there were moments I could have played better.

In the first set, I fought hard, and I felt the ball was flying, which is why I asked to adjust the tension of my racket strings, especially after the roof closed. It took them twenty minutes to arrive, and I’m disappointed with that part of the match.

These are small details, but maybe I could have made different decisions on the court at times. Now, I need to try to build on this, even though I know it’ll take a few days to get over a loss like this," concluded Raducanu, currently ranked 40th in the world, who reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon last year.