What Emma Raducanu immediately did in Wimbledon locker room after being knocked out

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What Emma Raducanu immediately did in Wimbledon locker room after being knocked out
Emma Raducanu was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon on Friday and the British star has opened up on her process after suffering a defeat
Emma Raducanu reached the third round of Wimbledon for the second consecutive year
(Image: AP )
Emma Raducanu has confessed that post her Wimbledon departure, the first thing she did was indulge in a KitKat in the locker room.
The 22-year-old faced an immense challenge during the Grand Slam's third round as she squared off against top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka on Friday. Despite rallying bravely and breaking the Belarusian's serve several times, Raducanu ultimately fell short, bowing out with a 7-6 (6) 6-4 scoreline in just under two hours.
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Raducanu certainly made an impression at this month's All England Club tournament, notching a victory over past champion Marketa Vondrousova in the second round — the Croatian had clinched the Wimbledon title the previous year, in 2023.
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Post-match, while addressing the media, the tennis star was questioned on how she copes with such significant losses. In response, after some contemplation, she admitted that reaching for the iconic British chocolate bar was first on her mind following her SW19 farewell.
"Well, [the] first thing I did was have a KitKat in the changing rooms," Raducanu owned up with a chuckle.
She then proceeded to discuss how she'll reconcile herself with the match outcome, yet maintained an optimistic outlook on what lies ahead, reports the Mirror.
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Emma Raducanu laughed off her chocolate confession in her press conference
(Image: BBC )
"I'll probably find it tough to sleep tonight or I'll be so exhausted and crash but it's going to take me a few days to process that.
"It could be a good thing that I'm like, 'Okay I want to get straight back to work,' because it's not far but there's still a lot of things that I want to do better to really solidify my game so that in the big moments, I feel like I can back myself a little bit more."
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There's certainly no indignity in succumbing to a player like Sabalenka, Raducanu conceded, explaining that recognising the calibre of her opponent makes the sting of defeat a touch less saddening.
Emma Raducanu put up a spirited display in her defeat to Aryna Sabalenka
(Image: AFP via Getty Images )
"I think I'm just very self-critical," she admitted. "It's hard to see. Of course, I'm very proud of being competitive on the court. I think I would rather that than it being completely one way. But yes, there are positives. Right now it's so soon after the match. I think it's better for me to kind of feel a bit of the pain right now and then process it better that way.
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"I think it's difficult to see that right now, having just come off. It's hard. It's hard to take a loss like that. At the same time, I'm playing Aryna, who is No. 1 in the world, a great champion. I have to be proud of my effort today."
Ranked 40th globally, Raducanu admitted prior to facing Sabalenka that she felt a significant gap between herself and the world's top players. However, her performance has boosted her confidence for future encounters with high-ranking opponents.
Sabalenka has yet to reach a Wimbledon final in her career
(Image: Getty Images )
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"It does give me confidence because I think the problem before was that I felt like I was gulfs away from the very top. Having a match like that where I had chances in both sets, it does give me confidence. At the same time, it's very difficult to take right now.
"It gives me confidence that I'm not as far away as I perhaps thought before the tournament. I think before previously when I was playing those top-5 players, it was pretty convincing, the loss.
"So I think today to really push Aryna to the top, it does give me confidence."
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Raducanu's attention now shifts to the US Open next month, where she will partner world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the mixed doubles.