The 21-year-old stunned the world three years ago when she won the title in her third senior tournament, but it has not been a happy hunting ground since.
After a first-round exit in 2022 and missing last year through injury, Sofia Kenin handed out more misery with a 6-1 3-6 6-4 win on the Grandstand court.
The defeat has had an even bigger impact than before on Ms Raducanu who was fighting back the tears as she said: “Yeah, I feel down, like I feel sad.
READ MORE: Tennis star Emma Raducanu spotted in Henley on day out
“This is a tournament I really want to do well in.”
The 21-year-old had already been knocked out of Wimbledon and a WTA 500 event in Washington all before failing to take part in the Cincinnati Open.
In between this she also turned down the chance to play for Team GB at the Paris Olympics, prioritising the American tournaments.
So the question as to what is next for Ms Raducanu is being asked and even the tennis player herself admitted it was time to reassess.
“I’m just going to go back to the drawing board and train and analyse where I went wrong and try and improve for the rest of the season.
READ MORE: Emma Raducanu makes young fan’s dream come true before US Open
“Obviously, the slams are over for this year, but it’s not actually that long until Australia comes around again.
“I would have preferred to probably play a little bit more before coming into the US Open.
“I know when I have a lot of matches, just like every player, you feel really good, you feel like everything’s automatic.
“I can learn from it. And, you know, manage my schedule slightly differently.
“It wasn’t just me. It was more of like a collective call and that’s what happened, and I can’t really change it.”
READ MORE: Emma Raducanu misses out on £375k after ruling out University of Oxford
The option of studying at the University of Oxford remains a very possible option after the star was spotted on a day trip to the city and a visit to the university prior to Wimbledon.
“I’m very much focused on my professional tennis career,” she said in a post-match press conference.
“Once that’s over maybe or once I have more disposition or more time, that’s for sure something I would love to explore.
“For now I’m very much focused on the tennis.”
READ MORE: Emma Raducanu hits back at Judy Murray
Unlock unlimited local news for just £6 for 6 months today.🗞
Enjoy access to our ad-free mobile and tablet app, as well as the digital edition of the paper. Don’t miss out – subscribe now! 👇 pic.twitter.com/fMADnsIsNK— Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) August 1, 2024
After not fully ruling the idea out, Ms Raducanu was then spotted in Oxfordshire again as recently as this month, visiting the nearby town of Henley, adding fuel to the rumour fire.
Help support trusted local news
Sign up for a digital subscription now:
As a digital subscriber you will get:
- Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website
- Advert-light access
- Reader rewards
- Full access to our app