Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle LIVE: Madrid Open result and reaction as Brit suffers surprise defeat

Emma Raducanu suffered a surprise defeat to qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle in the first round of the Madrid Open.

Raducanu shot up 82 places in the WTA rankings after scoring four victories in a row between the Billie Jean Cup and the Stuttgart Open, where the Briton put up a strong performance in her quarter-final defeat to World No 1 Iga Swiatek.

She had hoped to build on an impressive showing on the German clay in the Spanish capital, but produced a sloppy outing, producing too many errors to let the Argentine seize control. The 2021 US Open champion had been drawn against Karolina Pliskova, but the former World No 1 withdrew earlier this week, affording the opportunity to Carle to secure a significant win as she continued a breakthrough season that has seen her climb into the world’s top 100.

She will now face the 17th seed Veronika Kudermetova in the second round, with Raducanu forced to reflect on another disappointing defeat with her French Open participation still in doubt. Follow reaction from Raducanu vs Lourdes Carle from the Madrid Open below

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle LIVE: Madrid Open latest score and updates

• Emma Raducanu beaten by Maria Lourdes Carle in first round of the Madrid Open

• Carle secured a 6-2, 6-2 victory to continue her impressive clay court season

• Raducanu had been looking to build on strong showings at Billie Jean King Cup and Stuttgart Open

Emma Raducanu suffers surprise defeat to Maria Lourdes Carle in Madrid

16:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Emma Raducanu saw the progress made at the recent Stuttgart Open stall after she collapsed to a straight-sets defeat by Maria Lourdes Carle at the Madrid Open.

Raducanu exited last week’s tournament in Germany in the quarter-finals but that encouraging form deserted her on Wednesday as she was crushed 6-2 6-2 by her Argentinian opponent, who is ranked 83 in the world.

Playing with strapping around the front of her left knee, the 2021 US Open champion produced an error-strewn display on the clay at Manzanares Park.

Raducanu‘s progress in Stuttgart was only halted by world number one Iga Swiatek, raising hopes that she would progress deep into the draw this week.

The 21-year-old, who endured an injury-hit 2023, was viewed as a strong favourite against qualifier Carle only to make 19 unforced errors in the first set alone.

And, having spoken before the tournament of her tiredness due to the volume of matches this year, she was unable to rally in an equally one-sided second set.

Emma Raducanu crashes out of Madrid Open in first round

Emma Raducanu suffers surprise defeat to Maria Lourdes Carle

15:53 , Harry Latham-Coyle

There’s double trouble for the British women in Madrid - Hannah Dart is also out in the first round, losing in straight sets to Cristina Busca (6-4, 6-4).

Emma Raducanu suffers surprise defeat to Maria Lourdes Carle

15:48 , Harry Latham-Coyle

For Raducanu, meanwhile, that was a really disappointing performance. Her forehand was just too clunky to allow her to consistently stay in the match, and the fatigue she mentioned ahead of the match was also apparent. She is still learning on clay - will she go into French Open qualifying if there is no main draw entry forthcoming?

Emma Raducanu suffers surprise defeat to Maria Lourdes Carle

15:42 , Harry Latham-Coyle

That’s a really significant win for Maria Lourdes Carle, who, remember, is yet to make a main draw appearance at a grand slam. Her game does suit clay, as is the case for plenty of South Americans - both of her WTA Challenger final appearances have been on the surface, and she managed today’s encounter very, very well.

Veronika Kudermetova, the 17th seed, will be next.

Maria Lourdes Carle on her victory

15:37 , Harry Latham-Coyle

“It’s amazing. We are working very hard with my team so I am glad that we can see it on court. I was ready for this match - I know her, I think everyone knows her and it was a tough battle. But I managed very well the nerves and everything, so mostly I’m happy.

“I like it in Spain, I like the people, the crowd, the food. I am feeling good here. I like it!”

GAME SET AND MATCH! Maria Lourdes Carle beats Emma Raducanu 6-2, 6-2

15:34 , Harry Latham-Coyle

All over in Madrid - Emma Raducanu is OUT! A sloppy performance from the Brit and Maria Lourdes Carle seals a straight sets victory.

Emma Raducanu 2-6, 2-5 Maria Lourdes Carle*

15:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Some of Emma Raducanu’s best striking of the match has been in the last two games. This time, she converts it into a hold,

Emma Raducanu* 2-6, 1-5 Maria Lourdes Carle

15:26 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Somehow, Maria Lourdes Carle takes it! Emma Raducanu will serve to stay in the match.

Emma Raducanu 2-6, 1-4 (40-40) Maria Lourdes Carle

15:25 , Harry Latham-Coyle

An ace from the Argentine saves Raducanu’s fifth break point of the game. Onwards we go.

Emma Raducanu 2-6, 1-4 (40-40) Maria Lourdes Carle

15:20 , Harry Latham-Coyle

A brilliant backhand lob is flipped up over a retreating Emma Raducanu at full extension, dropping perfectly inside the baseline as Maria Lourdes Carle shows off the variety of her groundstrokes to save two break points.

Emma Raducanu 2-6, 1-4 Maria Lourdes Carle*

15:13 , Harry Latham-Coyle

An elegant approaching winner suggests brighter things in the fifth game of the set, but Maria Lourdes Carle, as she has been throughout, is calm, composed and confident on defence, allowing the errors to come. Emma Raducanu has held serve just once in the match and is two games from defeat.

Emma Raducanu* 2-6, 1-3 Maria Lourdes Carle

15:10 , Harry Latham-Coyle

A shake of the head from Emma Raducanu as she flaps her forehand into the net, before rather swiping at a serve that gets big on her. A touch rash, that, and the backhand return that follows it is equally ill-judged.

Emma Raducanu 2-6, 1-2 Maria Lourdes Carle*

15:05 , Harry Latham-Coyle

But Raducanu just hasn’t been able to maintain momentum in the match at all. A few faulty forehands, of which there have been far too many, and another service game slips away.

Emma Raducanu* 2-6, 1-1 Maria Lourdes Carle

15:01 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Warm applause from the Madrid crowd as Emma Raducanu plants the second of consecutive forehand volleys neatly into the corner to beat Carle. Deuce, and an ugly double fault creates an opening.

Taken! A much-needed break for the Brit.

Emma Raducanu 2-6, 0-1 Maria Lourdes Carle*

14:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle

New set, same story. Emma Raducanu has just pushed too many of her aggressive shots wide so far, giving Maria Lourdes Carle too many soft points. Coach Iain Bates twitches in his chair as an overhit forehand allows Carle two more break point chances, the second of which is seized.

Maria Lourdes Carle takes the first set 6-2

14:46 , Harry Latham-Coyle

A thrash of a forehand is wide from Emma Raducanu, and that’s that for the first set. Maria Lourdes Carle has been very, very impressive so far.

Emma Raducanu 2-5 Maria Lourdes Carle*

14:41 , Harry Latham-Coyle

At last, a hold for Emma Raducanu, staving off the concession of the first set.

Emma Raducanu* 1-5 Maria Lourdes Carle

14:39 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Carle canters towards the first set with a rock solid hold.

Emma Raducanu 1-4 Maria Lourdes Carle*

14:36 , Harry Latham-Coyle

This is a really sharp tennis from Maria Lourdes Carle. A loopy block from Emma Raducanu floats awakwardly after bouncing and could be tough to put away, but Carle steers it delightfully with her forehand, clipping the inside of the line. A fierce flash over the net yorks an approaching Raducanu to close out a third consecutive break for the South American.

Emma Raducanu* 1-3 Maria Lourdes Carle

14:32 , Harry Latham-Coyle

A look to her coach from Emma Raducanu, just trying to reset and avoid this first set tumbling down the hill away from her. She’s aided by a double fault at 30-15 as Carle errs, and then another shallow slice hits the net cord, gifting the Brit a brak point.

And she takes it! Much better from Raducanu, keeping the ball deep or away from her opponent’s forehand to break back.

Emma Raducanu 0-3 Maria Lourdes Carle*

14:27 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Plenty of fight shown in that last game, but Emma Raducanu is struggling on serve early on. Maria Lourdes Carle is using her powerful forehand effectively to dominate the flow, securing a second break of the match.

Emma Raducanu* 0-2 Maria Lourdes Carle

14:23 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Eventually, Carle seals it out for a 2-0 lead.

Emma Raducanu 0-1 (40-40) Maria Lourdes Carle

14:21 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Two more deuces quickly arrive. This is a real battle.

Emma Raducanu 0-1 (40-40) Maria Lourdes Carle

14:18 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Maria Lourdes Carle takes the first seven points of the match before pushing a slice backhand long. Emma Raducanu forces another error with a deep backhand, and then produces a delicious crosscourt passing shot after a drop shot draws Carle forward.

And a break point! Top work from Raducanu after a shaky start. Can she take it? Nope, Carle gets ahead in the rally and finishes it off with a driving winner from the baseline. Back to deuce.

Smooth moving from Carle and a fourth chance at securing the game is hers. A backhand into the net - on we go.

Emma Raducanu 0-1 Maria Lourdes Carle*

14:11 , Harry Latham-Coyle

A rough start for Emma Raducanu -a handful of errors and the first game is ceded rather too easily.

Emma Raducanu 0-0 Maria Lourdes Carle

14:09 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Emma Raducanu will serve first - we’re up and running in Madrid.

A decent-length rally to start, Raducanu coming forward into a big forehand but then dragging a loopier effort wide. First point the way of the Argentine.

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle

14:03 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The two players are out on court, Raducanu again with that strapping around her left knee but seemingly moving freely.

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle

13:57 , Harry Latham-Coyle

So with Naomi Osaka safely through, Emma Raducanu will be next up on court at the Arantxa Sanchez Stadium. Can the Brit build on the form she showed in Germany last week?

Naomi Osaka through to second round

13:48 , Harry Latham-Coyle

And that’s that for Greet Minnen - Naomi Osaka warpas up a 6-4, 6-1 victory to progress in Madrid. She took a bit of time to settle in but that was mightily impressive stuff from Osaka to dominate the second set.

It’ll be Liudmila Samsonova, the 15th seed, next up in the second round for Osaka. That’s her first victory on clay of the year.

Former Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza announces retirement

13:42 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Former Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza has announced her retirement from tennis.

The 30-year-old Spaniard won the French Open in 2016 before lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish on Centre Court the following summer but she had not played a competitive match since January 2023.

At a press conference last week where she was announced as a Laureus Ambassador, Muguruza said: “If 25 years ago, when I started hitting my first tennis balls, someone had told me that I would become a professional tennis player, that I would fulfil my dream of winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon, that I would become number one in the world and win the WTA Finals, I would have thought this person was crazy.

“Tennis has given me a lot in this first part of my life. It has been a fantastic journey in which I have experienced unique situations. I have travelled all over the world and experienced many different cultures.

“I am tremendously grateful to all the people who have helped and accompanied me throughout this chapter, because without them I would not have been able to get here.”

Former Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza announces retirement

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle

13:33 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Naomi Osaka is speeding towards the second round - she’s 3-0 up in the second already.

Emma Raducanu rises 82 places in WTA rankings after recent run of form

13:25 , Harry Latham-Coyle

A strong performance in Stuttgart last week has led to a significant rise in the rankings for Emma Raducanu. Can she build on that run to the quarter-finals with more success here?

Emma Raducanu rises 82 places in WTA rankings after recent run of form

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle

13:13 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle will follow the opening match of the day at the Arantxa Sanchez Stadium - and Naomi Osaka has just wrapped up the first set against Greet Minnen 6-4.

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle

13:00 , Jamie Braidwood

Who is Maria Lourdes Carle?

The 24-year-old Argentine is ranked at a career-high 82 in the world and reached the Madrid Open first-round as a qualifier, with a spot opening up following the withdrawal of Karolina Pliskova.

Carle is in form, though, and is just coming off her highest-level title of her career earlier this month after winning the WTA 125 event in La Bisbal d’Emporda, Spain.

She is into the world’s top 100 for the first time and made it through to her first main draw of a WTA 1000 event in Miami this season.

The winner of this match will face 17th seed Veronika Kudermetova in the second round.

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle

12:40 , Jamie Braidwood

After her run to the Stuttgart Open quarter-finals, Iga Swiatek backed Emma Raducanu to compete for more titles following a competitive 7-6 6-3 victory over the former US Open champion.

Swiatek, the World No 1, said: “It was a pretty intense match, so I’m happy that I was able to keep the intensity even though we played a tough games for two hours.

“It wasn’t easy, I had a lot of break points that I couldn’t convert. I hope she’ll be able to do it [challenge for more titles] because for sure, she has a game for that.

“But it’s not easy.”

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle

12:20 , Jamie Braidwood

Raducanu, speaking to Sky Sports, on the difference in her mindset to 12 months ago: “I was thinking about my last interview in Madrid, so I think I’ve come on a lot since then.

“Obviously I had a lot going on, I knew I was going to have to have surgery, but I didn’t want to say anything about it.

“Coming here I feel a lot better, I’m in a lot better place with my tennis, mentally I feel really confident and I’m just looking forward for the rest of the clay season to be honest.”

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle

12:00 , Jamie Braidwood

The Madrid Open was Emma Raducanu’s final tournament before undergoing surgeries on both of her wrists and ankle last year, which saw the former US Open champion sidelined for the rest of the year.

Before confirming the surgery, Raducanu participated in a bizarre press conference that saw Briton reply 16 questions with total of 58 words.

Raducanu had been dealing with a recurring injury on a bone on the top of both hands, and had been playing through pain for the past 10 months. In Madrid, her frustration could no longer be downplayed.

Raducanu is looking a lot more positive and optimistic now.

Why a reset for Emma Raducanu can be a step in the right direction

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle

11:40 , Jamie Braidwood

Emma Raducanu says she is “in a lot better place” as she returns to the Madrid Open.

She told Sky Sports: “The altitude here, it doesn’t catch you as off guard. It’s always going to be different, but at least you can expect it and you know where things are, which always helps – you know where the stringer is, the gym is, everything, where to find the food. That’s where it does come in handy, but I think I’m just trying to freshen up physically as much as possible.

“This was the last place I came to last year before surgery and I pulled out on site, and then I had surgery and missed the next eight months.

“For me, it’s like now I have zero to defend for the rest of the year, so everything is a gain, everything is a win. Thinking how far I came since last year is a great thing.”

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle

11:20 , Jamie Braidwood

Can Raducanu build on improved form?

It’s been a good couple of weeks for Raducanu. Her impressive displays in leading Britain to victory at the Billie Jean King Cup were followed up by a decent run on the clay in Stuttgart, with wins over Angelique Kerber and Linda Noskova before pushing Iga Swiatek in a competitive quarter-final.

It’s seen Raducanu jump up by 82 places in the WTA rankings, and she will hope to go higher in Madrid ahead of the French Open next month.

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle

11:10 , Jamie Braidwood

How can I watch the Madrid Open?

The Madrid Open will be shown on Sky Sports Tennis. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Emma Raducanu vs Maria Lourdes Carle

11:05 , Harry Latham-Coyle

What time is Emma Raducanu playing today?

Raducanu will take on Maria Lourdes Carle in the Arantxa Sanchez Stadium in the first round of the Madrid Open with their match starting no earlier than 1.30pm BST (UK time).

Good morning

11:00 , Jamie Braidwood

Welcome. Emma Raducanu returns to action today at the Madrid Open as the 21-year-old looks to build on her improved form on the clay.

Raducanu takes on qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle in the opening round in Madrid, after former World No 1 Karolina Pliskova withdrew from the main draw.