Emma Raducanu has been told she must get used to playing smaller events due to her career being 'in reverse'.
The Brit exited Indian Wells on Monday when she suffered a straight-sets defeat to back-to-back Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Raducanu continues her comeback from injury after missing much of 2023 due to ankle and wrist surgery.
She returned to action in early January but had won just three matches before entering Indian Wells last week.
Emma Raducanu has been warned she faces a big challenge in her career
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The 21-year-old got her campaign off to a convincing start when she beat Spain's Rebeka Masarova before Dayana Yastremska pulled out during their second-round match due to injury.
Sabalenka looked set to be arguably Raducanu's biggest test since she made a competitive return in the third round.
That proved to be the case as the Belarusian saw out a 6-3, 7-5 win to send the former British No 1 packing.
There were some positive moments for Raducanu and she was hailed as 'unbelievable' by her opponent.
But tennis commentator Jonathan Overend has outlined the challenge he thinks Raducanu faces to get back on track.
Overend says Raducanu's record-breaking US Open win at the age of 18 saw her career go in a different direction to other players her age.
He claims she now has to get used to competing and winning smaller events after having such a high so early in her career.
Overend said on Sky Sports: "The big challenge for the life of Raducanu is this is a career in reverse.
"She’s won a Grand Slam title in her teens, done something virtually every other player will never get the chance to do and she’s already done it.
"Now she’s got to get used to working her way back up the rankings and playing tournaments that aren’t as high profile as these ones, but when they do come she’s got to believe she can play at that level because she has demonstrated it already in her career."
Former British star Naomi Broady has seen plenty of positives in Raducanu's performances at Indian Wells.
She believes consistency will come with more experience on the tour.
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Emma Raducanu exited at Indian Wells in the third round
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Broady said: "She’s got the level of tennis, so once she overcomes the injuries – she’s had the surgeries now and drawn the line in the sand, so can train properly – it’s dealing with the rest of the stuff, which you don’t know how to deal with it until you live it.
"It’s a learning curve. Everything is still so new. She’s cut a lot of the team she had around her. She said she just wanted to make it even smaller.
"In fact, I think she was only with her coach Nick Cavaday at Indian Wells. Some of the top players have physios, psychologists and fitness coaches.
"She’s keeping it as small as possible and only hiring people she can trust."
Emma Raducanu missed much of 2023 due to wrist and ankle surgery
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Raducanu has been handed a wildcard for the Miami Open this month.
She was pleased with how she played the last few days, reflecting: "It was a good success, I would say.
"I think I have handled myself a lot better on the match court. I was a lot more positive and hungry to play, and that showed I think in the tennis that I did play."
