Emma Raducanu picked up another early exit in 2025 and also set up one very negative record as the Briton now owns the lowest win percentage at the WTA 1000 level among former Grand Slam champions since the format was introduced 16 years ago.
Although the 2021 US Open champion received a favorable opening matchup in Indian Wells, she struggled against Moyuka Uchijima in windy conditions before suffering a 3-6 2-6 defeat.
By losing her first-round match in the desert, the 2021 US Open champion fell to an 11-15 record (42.3 percent) on the WTA 1000 level since her triumphant run at Flushing Meadows. Overall, she has a 1-2 in the WTA 1000 category in 2025 after previously losing her Doha opener and making only the Dubai second round.
Before Raducanu, Francesca Schiavone held the negative record since she only won 42.3 percent of her WTA 1000 matches following her 2010 French Open victory.
42.3 – Since the format’s introduction in 2009, Emma Raducanu (42.3%, 11-15) now holds the lowest win rate among former Grand Slam winners at WTA-1000 events, now below Francesca Schiavone (42.4%, 42-57). Grapple.#TennisParadise | @BNPPARIBASOPEN @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/R0T6T1EiIh
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) March 6, 2025
As you can see, the margin is minimal. If the 22-year-old Briton wins her Miami first-round match this month, she will improve to a 44.4 win percentage and again put Schiavone behind her on the list.
Raducanu lamented very tricky conditions
Throughout the entire match, the wind was blowing and it forced the former world No. 10 to play some awkward shots and it didn’t go well.
“It was a lot of balls that were, like, very, very spinny on these courts in the day and in the wind. So it was just jumping up a lot, and then kind of short, like, almost like mishits, and then deep spinny and then flat. So I didn’t really know what was coming, I guess. I think I wasn’t able to execute necessarily very well today,” the British tennis star reflected.
It remains to be seen if Raducanu can bounce back in Miami.
Tennis World USA