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Emma Raducanu says she needs to "get her head in the game" ahead of Wimbledon following a tough second-round loss to 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint at Eastbourne.
Raducanu, 22, was beaten 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4) in a tense match that concluded a challenging week for the British number one. Despite rallying from 5-2 down in the third set to force a tie-break, she couldn't complete back-to-back comeback victories, having overturned a first-set deficit to beat Ann Li in an emotional opening-round match.
"Unfortunately, I couldn't get over the line today, but I can get some rest ahead of next week," Raducanu said. Wimbledon begins on Monday, 30 June, leaving her just a few days to recover and reset.
She admitted she was mentally affected by "some really bad news" received earlier in the week and is feeling the toll physically and emotionally. "I feel quite tired. Just going through some stuff, and I need to do my best to get my head in the game ahead of next week," she said.
Raducanu came into Eastbourne following a strong run to the quarter-finals at Queen's Club but had withdrawn from the Berlin Open due to a back issue. Although she appeared physically uncomfortable at times during her match with Joint, she did not seek medical attention.
In the second-round clash, Raducanu started well, using her serve effectively to take the opening set. However, Joint responded strongly in the second, dominating to level the match. The final set was filled with momentum swings. After Joint broke early and held off Raducanu's efforts to level, the Briton broke twice as Joint served for the match, even pulling off a break to love at 5-4 down.
The players exchanged breaks again, and Raducanu forced a tie-break. But a net cord helped Joint gain the lead, and she finished with an ace to secure her spot in the quarter-finals. Joint, who began the year ranked 684th and is now up to 51st, will face Anna Blinkova next.
Elsewhere, Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova survived match points for the second day running, beating Jodie Burrage 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7-3). Francesca Jones also exited, losing 6-2 6-1 to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska.
