Emma Raducanu was reduced to tears during her Dubai Tennis Championships clash with Karolina Muchova on Tuesday night, as emotions overcame the British player early in the match.
The 22-year-old appeared visibly distraught after falling behind 2-0 in the opening set, making her way to the umpire's chair whilst wiping away tears with her towel.
The concerning scenes prompted her Czech opponent Muchova to check on her well-being at courtside.
Sky Sports commentators acknowledged the difficult moment, with one noting: "You never want to see a player in tears on court. This is meant to be a fun game."
Emma Raducanu's emotions got the better of her against Karolina Muchova on Tuesday night
Sky Sports
After receiving support from the crowd, who offered cheers and applause, Raducanu composed herself to continue the match.
The match had already faced significant disruption, with rain - a rare occurrence in Dubai - causing a four-hour delay to proceedings.
Once play finally began, close to 10pm local time, Muchova raced into a commanding position.
The 14th seed broke Raducanu's serve twice in quick succession to establish a 4-0 lead in the opening set.
However, Raducanu showed remarkable resilience to fight her way back into contention.
The British No 2 secured her first break of serve in the fifth game with a stunning backhand return down the line.
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She then held her own serve for the first time in the match, before breaking Muchova again in the ninth game to reduce the deficit to 5-4.
Raducanu's comeback set up a dramatic first-set tie-break against the former French Open finalist.
Despite holding a 5-2 lead in the tie-break, Raducanu was unable to capitalise as Muchova fought back to claim it 8-6.
The result ended Raducanu's impressive run of six consecutive tie-break victories.
The late-night contest, which stretched towards midnight local time, saw Raducanu's momentum fade as the second set began.
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Emma Raducanu stood behind the umpire's chair as she wiped away tears, prompting her opponent to come and console her
Sky Sports
The world No 61 suffered an immediate setback when Muchova broke her serve in the opening game.
Despite creating three break point opportunities in the sixth game of the second set, Raducanu couldn't find a way back.
Muchova ultimately closed out the match 7-6 (6), 6-4 after two hours and seven minutes of play.
The defeat marks a disappointing end to Raducanu's Dubai campaign, having snapped a four-match losing streak with her first-round victory over Maria Sakkari on Sunday.
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Emma Raducanu is out of the Qatar Open after a straight sets defeat to Karolina Muchova ❌ pic.twitter.com/ARMhengkcq
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) February 18, 2025
The winner advances to face American McCartney Kessler in the last 16, who earlier caused an upset by eliminating world number three Coco Gauff.
Raducanu is now expected to return to the UK for training ahead of upcoming Masters tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.
The British star will return to action on home soil in June, having confirmed her participation alongside Katie Boulter at the HSBC Championships at Queen's Club - the first women's event at the venue since 1973.
