Emma Raducanu suffered her fourth consecutive defeat as she crashed out of the Qatar Open, losing to Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets.
The British number two, who entered the tournament on a wildcard, fell to a 6-3 7-5 defeat in Sunday's first-round match in Doha.
The loss marks Raducanu's longest losing streak since turning professional, continuing a difficult run of form for the former US Open champion.
Raducanu started brightly in both sets, establishing 3-1 leads that she was unable to maintain.
Emma Raducanu has been out of form in recent months
Reuters
The 22-year-old had opportunities to secure a second break of serve in the opening set, but Alexandrova found her rhythm and claimed five consecutive games.
A similar pattern emerged in the second set, with Raducanu again taking an early advantage before her Russian opponent fought back.
The world number 26 secured a crucial break at 5-5 before serving out the match.
This latest setback follows first-round exits against Marketa Vondrousova in Abu Dhabi and Cristina Bucsa in Singapore.
Raducanu has not tasted victory since her third-round defeat to Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open last month.
The British player's downturn in form coincides with coach Nick Cavaday stepping down from his position for health reasons following the Australian Open.
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Prior to this run, Raducanu had never lost more than three consecutive matches in her professional career.
Alexandrova entered the match with momentum, having recently claimed victory at the WTA Tour title in Linz last week.
The contrast in confidence levels between the players became apparent as the match progressed.
Raducanu was joined in Doha by her mentor Jane O'Donoghue, who flew out to offer support to the British player.
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Closing it out 👊
— wta (@WTA) February 9, 2025
Ekaterina Alexandrova beats Raducanu in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5.#QatarTotalEnergiesOpen pic.twitter.com/9KkklYVexj
Despite O'Donoghue's presence, Raducanu was unable to engineer a change in fortunes against the in-form Russian.
The Qatar Open represents the first WTA 1000 event of the year, with Raducanu's early exit continuing her difficult start to the 2025 season.
Alexandrova's victory sets up a second-round clash with world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
The result marks a reversal from the pair's previous meeting, where Raducanu had emerged victorious against Alexandrova in the first round of the Australian Open in January.
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