Mark petchey

French Open: Emma Raducanu summoned every ounce of resilience to overcome both physical adversity and mounting scrutiny, defeating China’s Wang Xinyu 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in a two-hour 44-minute thriller in the French Open first round on Monday. Making only her second appearance at the clay-court Grand Slam — having missed the previous two editions due to injury — the 22-year-old Briton was visibly unwell, requiring a medical timeout to check her blood pressure late in the first set.

Despite the discomfort and a disputed call that seemed to swing momentum towards Wang, Raducanu refused to fold. Her eventual triumph wasn’t just a win on the scoreboard, but a deeply personal statement about her evolving mental toughness.

“I don’t feel great, I was struggling from the start,” Raducanu admitted to TNT Sports after the match. “I was flat, but I’m happy to find a way.”