"There's always a long way to go against the top players," says Raducanu after her defeat to Swiatek

The challenge proved too steep for Emma Raducanu against Iga Swiatek. On Court Philippe-Chatrier, the British player fell in straight sets to the three-time defending champion (6-1, 6-2), marking her fifth consecutive loss to the Polish star.

Just months after her crushing 6-1, 6-0 defeat at the Australian Open against the world No. 5, Raducanu—still searching for answers against Swiatek—shared her thoughts following the loss.

"I’d say there are still positives to take, in the sense that I’ve won several matches on this surface this season. This is probably the first proper clay-court season I’ve played since the start of my career.

It’s only the second time I’ve played this tournament since 2022. I’m happy because, early on, I was moving well on the court and feeling better. But on the other hand, it shows that, for me, there’s still a long way to go against the top players.

Every time I’ve faced Iga (Swiatek), she’s played well. That adds pressure from the start because I feel like I have to hit an extra shot, and I don’t always know how to handle that in the moment.

It gets really tough because as the match goes on, she just grows more and more confident," Raducanu explained to ESPN after her exit at Roland Garros.