Raducanu, 22, was aiming for a statement win over an elite player to underline her recent progress, but found herself outclassed in a 6-1 6-2 defeat.

Ninth seed Rybakina pummelled Raducanu’s serve, returning with devastating effect to break four times.

“It was a difficult experience facing her when she playing so well. I just feel that in every department she was better,” Raducanu told BBC Sport.

Raducanu’s slow start on her serve – broken at the first attempt in the match after falling 0-40 down – set the tone for what followed.

After quickly falling behind, the world number 36 looked devoid of belief and struggled to get into the rallies before losing in 62 minutes.

Raducanu has won only three of her 18 career matches against top-10 players.

The 2021 US Open champion was the final Briton to fall in the women’s singles, although Cameron Norrie continues to fly the nation’s flag in the men’s draw.

Norrie, 29, takes on 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the third round later on Friday.

This year, Raducanu returned to New York – the scene of her 2021 title success as a teenage qualifier – riding a wave of optimism.

Looking more carefree and content, she has played some of her best tennis since that extraordinary triumph and is close to climbing back into the world’s top 30.

But this defeat provided another reality check.

Leading into the match, Raducanu warned of 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina’s ability to take the racquet of an opponent’s hand with her enormous serve and penetrating returns.

“Today I felt I was on the receiving end of that – which was hard to take, of course,” said Raducanu, who lost the first set in 27 minutes.

“I need to try my best to not let this match overshadow all the good work I’ve been doing.”

Rybakina’s groundstrokes were clean and crisp off both wings, with a stream of winners painting the baseline and leaving Raducanu looking rather helpless.

A total of 23 winners from 26-year-old Rybakina underlined her dominance from the back of the court.

Raducanu’s serve had been the bedrock of her game in two clinical opening wins against lowly ranked qualifiers Japan’s Ena Shibahara and Indonesia’s Janice Tjen.

But she did not land anywhere near as many first serves on Rybakina, which instantly put her under pressure against an opponent who represented a huge step up in class.

Having her serve broken from 40-0 in the first game of the second set was another damaging blow.

Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, whose power from the baseline is among the very best when she finds her groove, continued to redline as she raced to victory.

It was felt Raducanu stood a chance if she managed to get Rybakina moving around the court, but the pace of her opponent’s ball meant she was not given the time to do so.

Despite winning numerous WTA titles on hard courts, Rybakina had never gone past the third round at Flushing Meadows before.

Next she will face Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini or 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova for a place in the quarter-finals.

In an outstanding performance marked by authority and intensity, the 22-year-old won 6-3 6-3 in just 82 minutes amid an electric atmosphere on Centre Court.

It was a level the former US Open champion will need to replicate – if not improve – when she meets world number one Aryna Sabalenka next and seeks to equal her best run at the Championships in 2021 and 2024.

“I think today I played really, really well. There were some points that I have no idea how I turned around,” an elated Raducanu said in her on-court interview.

“I knew playing Marketa was going to be an incredibly difficult match. She has won this tournament which is a huge achievement.

“I’m really pleased with how I played my game the whole way through.”

Raducanu became the third British player to reach the third round on Wednesday, following earlier victories for Sonay Kartal and Cameron Norrie.

Her victory came on a day when the women’s draw further opened up, as 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini became the fourth top-five seed to exit the tournament.

It is just the second time in the Open era that only one of the top five players – Sabalenka – has made it through to the third round of the women’s singles at a Grand Slam event.

On facing the Belarusian top seed, Raducanu said: “She is number one in the world right now, so dominant on the tour and has won literally everything, so it is going to be a really difficult match.

“I’m just so happy with how I performed and all I can do is control my side of the court as best as possible.

“When you play an opponent like her you know you have to play well so I guess there is no pressure on me at all in the next round.”

Raducanu back to free-flowing best

After regaining her status as British number one following a run to the Queen’s quarter-finals last month, Raducanu spoke about how she is now feeling free to express herself on court.

Her final Wimbledon preparations did not go perfectly, though, and she admitted she needed to get her “head in the game” after losing to Australian teenager Maya Joint in Eastbourne last month.

But, after a comfortable opening victory over compatriot Mimi Xu, this was Raducanu at her free-flowing best.

Following an assured start, she made a deserved breakthrough in the sixth game with a stunning passing winner on the first break point of the match.

Vondrousova offered an immediate response but the Briton regained her composure and pounced again on a fourth break point opportunity for a 5-3 lead, before seeing out the set.

Raducanu did not allow her intensity to drop at the start of the second as, to the delight of her adoring home crowd, she again broke the 26-year-old Czech’s resistance with a third break point for a 2-1 lead.

She began her push for the finish line by avoiding a repeat of the immediate setback in the opening set, battling to a superb hold from two break points down.

Such was the consistency Raducanu had shown on serve, she closed in on victory untroubled, and the chair umpire had to remind the crowd to remain quiet during the points as their excitement increased.

Securing victory with a final break of serve, the manner of this success against a former champion will give her a major lift heading into a tantalising encounter with Sabalenka.

Raducanu has already made encouraging progress this year to return to the top 40, following a 2024 season which she began ranked 303rd following surgery on both wrists and her left ankle.

The continuation of her positive trajectory has been aided by the addition of former British number one Mark Petchey to her coaching team since March.

Technical work on Raducanu’s serve and forehand, as well as a push towards a more aggressive approach, have been among their key areas of focus.

That was all evident here in a statement success.

Despite her own injury issues, Vondrousova had proved a serious threat on grass by defeating five top-50 players, including Sabalenka, at the Berlin Open to lift her first title in 24 months.

But she was thoroughly outclassed by Raducanu, who had lost their previous two meetings, and the Briton will now prepare for the ultimate test of her progress on Friday.

Britain’s Raducanu was thrashed 6-1 6-0 in a chastening afternoon on Rod Laver Arena.

The world number 61 lost serve five times as Swiatek took just 70 minutes to secure victory.

It is the second time Raducanu has won just one game in a match, having lost 6-0 6-1 to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina in Sydney three years ago.

“She played very well, but I also think I didn’t play very well. It’s just not a great combination,” Raducanu, 22, said.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek has never gone past the Melbourne semi-finals but her level against Raducanu sent another warning to her title rivals.

The 23-year-old Pole has not dropped a set or even a service game in her first three rounds in Melbourne.

“If a top player is playing perfect, it’s already going to be a difficult match,” Raducanu added.

Gulf between Raducanu and Swiatek clear

While Raducanu and Swiatek both won Grand Slam titles as teenagers, their careers have followed very different paths since.

Raducanu famously won the 2021 US Open title as an 18-year-old qualifier but struggled with the spotlight on her afterwards.

The rigours of playing full-time on the WTA Tour also took its toll.

A series of injuries culminated in wrist and ankle surgeries in 2023, with Raducanu still finding her way back after dropping out of the world’s top 300.

Swiatek, however, continued to thrive after winning the 2020 French Open.

She has become dominant at Roland Garros, having won the title there for the past three years, and also claimed the US Open trophy in 2022.

Swiatek has won all four of her meetings with Raducanu – and the gulf between the pair is stark.

Raducanu was unable to cope with Swiatek’s top spin-heavy groundstrokes and athleticism, making a host of errors from the baseline as the pressure told on her backhand in particular.

Losing serve early was a fatal blow against a superb front-runner like Swiatek, who went on to secure the 78th ‘bagel’ of her tour-level career.

“The scoreline was obviously quite harsh,” said Raducanu.

“I’m very clear on what happened out there. If I’m not necessarily able to hold my service games or dictate, I feel like it seeps into the rest of my game.

“On my second serves, how the point is structured from then on, and in the return games, you feel a lot more pressure.

“That was probably a big aspect today.”

Positives for Raducanu after back issue

While this defeat will sting, Raducanu will try to take the positives from a career-best run at Melbourne Park.

The English player’s preparations for the first Grand Slam of the season were hampered by a back injury, and she arrived in Melbourne having not played since November.

Despite hitting 15 double faults as her serve developed a “mind of its own”, Raducanu showed heart to beat Russian 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round.

Her second-round match against Amanda Anisimova of the United States was even more of a scrap, with Raducanu “pushing past the pain” to come from behind in both sets and win.

Raducanu seemed to be moving fine against Swiatek but she grew increasingly subdued as the match ran away from her.

“There are no excuses with the back or physically,” said Raducanu, who only began hitting again three weeks ago.

“Given the preparation we had, we have to be grateful to be in this position.”

The 22-year-old Briton won 6-3 7-5 after fighting back from breaks down in each set.

Raducanu, ranked 61st in the world, will face Polish second seed Iga Swiatek next.

The 2021 US Open champion’s preparations for the opening Grand Slam of the season were hampered by a back injury and she needed treatment twice during the second-round match.

But she managed to find a way to beat Anisimova – a friend who is ranked 35th – in a tussle where there were 13 breaks of serve.

“To make it past the second round means a lot to me,” said Raducanu.

“I was able to push past some pain.”

After the match, Raducanu said she was on good terms with Andy Murray after her Wimbledon mixed doubles withdrawal before his retirement last year.

She will play five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek in the last 32 on Saturday.

Swiatek, who has never gone past the Melbourne semi-finals, thrashed Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova 6-0 6-1 in an hour.

How Raducanu battled through injury to beat Anisimova

Having pulled out of her season-opening event in Auckland after suffering a back spasm, Raducanu had not played since mid-November before her first-round win over Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Raducanu struggled with her second serve against the Russian 26nd seed, hitting 15 double faults which she put down to a remodelled serve and early tournament nerves.

Another on her first service point against Anisimova was not an encouraging start.

Although she quickly stemmed the flow, Raducanu’s serve was regularly punished by the American’s explosive hitting.

But Anisimova – who reached the French Open semi-finals as a 17-year-old in 2019 and is re-establishing herself after taking a mental health break from the sport in 2023 – also had issues with her serve and handed over the opening set with a double fault.

At the start of the second set, there were further signs of Raducanu’s back issue having an effect.

Afterwards, Raducanu said she had not “fully investigated” whether it was related to the back spasm.

“When you haven’t played a match in so long, then to have two really physical ones, I think small niggles are going to come up here and there,” she added.

“I’m just hoping that it is that.”

After stretching out the area between points, three double faults handed over another break and Raducanu called the trainer when she lost serve again for 3-0.

The physiological, and perhaps psychological, boost helped her immediately.

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Raducanu and Anisimova, who are a similar age and share a love of art, have become friends in recent years

Raducanu clawed both breaks back to level when she returned, before more treatment between the exchange of another two breaks for 4-4.

Anisimova is a crisp ball-striker but can be erratic, and Raducanu’s resistance from the baseline swung a delicately balanced ninth game her way from 30-30.

Raducanu saved a break point in the 11th game, set up match point in the next with a wonderful crosscourt forehand winner and clinched victory when Anisimova sliced a backhand wide.

“I had to fight hard and not go away even when the chips were down,” said Raducanu.

With a day between her matches, Raducanu plans to “take it easy” on Friday.

“I’ll probably have a light hit. Nothing crazy,” she said.

Raducanu feared ‘bad blood’ with Murray

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Raducanu withdrew from her mixed doubles match with Murray at Wimbledon

Fellow Briton Murray was denied a final match at the All England Club last summer when Raducanu pulled out of their first-round mixed doubles match, citing soreness in her wrist.

Murray was known to be disappointed so Raducanu was particularly happy to be congratulated by him after beating Anisimova.

“Afterwards I sent him a long message basically apologising if I caused any trouble, I guess, at Wimbledon, that’s definitely the last thing I want,” she told the PA news agency.

“He’s someone that I’ve grown up looking up to and I don’t want any bad blood or harsh feelings with him.

“I sent him a long message and he took it really well and responded saying he was disappointed but he understood.

“We’re fine now. We walk past each other and say, ‘hello’, ‘well done’. It’s obviously really cool seeing him with Novak (Djokovic) here as well.”

The British number two, whose preparations were disrupted by a back injury, won 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) against Russian 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

While hitting well from the baseline, Raducanu was hampered by double faults and lost serve six times.

The 2021 US Open champion hit 15 double faults, including a particularly deflating one on break point when she looked to close out a straight-set victory from a 5-4 30-0 lead.

However, the way she regrouped and dominated another tie-break to get over the line was impressive.

The 22-year-old had a sheepish grin as she walked to the net and said afterwards: “I think my serve had a mind of its own.”

World number 61 Raducanu will face another higher-ranked player next in Amanda Anisimova.

The 23-year-old American, who is ranked 35th having returned from a nine-month mental health break in 2023, beat Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carle 6-2 6-3 to set up Thursday’s match.

Why Raducanu had second serve wobbles

Raducanu insisted she was “ready to go” in Melbourne after recovering from the back spasm – suffered when she bent down to tie a shoelace – that ruled her out of a season-opening event in Auckland.

Playing her first match since November, it was never likely to be plain-sailing for Raducanu on her Grand Slam return against a seeded player.

Most of the problems were caused by her second serve.

At the BJK Cup in Malaga, Raducanu spoke about tweaking her service motion and elongating the takeback in a search for extra power.

In Malaga, it produced plenty of aces – but that was countered by double faults. A similar pattern followed in Melbourne.

“The amount of double faults is uncomfortable, for sure,” Raducanu said.

“But it is something I had to accept. I’m working on my serve and part of it came with first-round nerves.”

‘Clutch’ tie-breaks see Raducanu through

Raducanu led 3-1 with a break in the first set, but her sixth double fault to send it back on serve drew groans from her many supporters at Melbourne Park.

Worse was to follow.

Raducanu hit three more double faults in a poor ninth game, allowing Alexandrova to move ahead for the first time in the match at 5-4.

But the Russian could not serve out and paid the price as Raducanu played a superb first tie-break.

Raducanu appeared to have settled down in the second set, moving an early break up and confidently holding for a 3-2 lead.

Then the double faults reappeared.

Three more in the sixth game heaped on the pressure, but Raducanu scrambled to save two break points before Alexandrova did take her serve for 4-4.

After failing to serve out at 5-4, Raducanu saved a set point in the 12th game with a first serve which Alexandrova – an aggressive ball-striker who cut a demonstrative figure – whacked a backhand long.

Raducanu again dominated the tie-break, racing 6-0 ahead and clinched victory on her third match point – after hitting a double fault on the first.

“That was the cherry on the top,” Raducanu laughed.

On stepping up in the tie-breaks, she added: “I think that is one of my strengths.

“When it gets to those clutch moments, I relish playing in that.”

Britain’s Raducanu, who lost 6-1 3-6 6-4, was searching for her first victory in New York since unexpectedly winning the title in 2021 as a teenage qualifier.

She fell in the first round in 2022 and missed last year’s tournament as she recovered from wrist and ankle surgery.

Raducanu played just one tournament between Wimbledon in July and the US Open, reaching the quarter-finals in Washington earlier this month.

The 21-year-old fought back tears in a news conference after her loss to fellow Grand Slam champion Kenin and said she felt “sad” and “down”.

She said she would “learn from it” and “manage my schedule slightly differently” for future Grand Slams.

“I would like to play more matches,” Raducanu told BBC 5 Live.

“I wouldn’t probably still play every single tournament leading up, but I would probably play more than I did this time.

“It’s a lesson to learn for next year.”​​​​​​​

Having opted to skip this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, Raducanu also missed WTA 1,000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati in the lead-up to the US Open

Raducanu admitted afterwards that she lacked some match sharpness against Kenin.

“I got off to a bit of a slow start but did really well to fight back in sets two and three and there wasn’t much in it,” Raducanu said.

“I think I worked my way into the match pretty well, but at this level you can’t really afford to have a slow start of the set and start from a set down.

“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 manage my schedule slightly differently.”

After an injury-plagued 2023, Raducanu returned to the tour in January and reached the second round of the Australian Open.

She skipped the clay-court French Open to focus on being fit for the British grass season – a decision that seemed to have paid off when she made an impressive run to the Wimbledon fourth round.

“I think I’ve made progress considering where I was at the start of the year – I didn’t play for seven months,” the world number 71 added.

“I had a month of December training after three surgeries so I think to climb back into the top 100 was a really good achievement.”

Kenin comes out on top of ‘rollercoaster’ champion clash

After fending off two break points in the first game, Raducanu’s serve was constantly under pressure from Kenin, who reeled off five games in a row to take the opening set.

Raducanu made a statement by breaking early in the second with a series of bruising forehand winners, but Kenin responded immediately to level at 1-1.

As the British number two grew into the match, Kenin’s frustrations came to the fore and she angrily swiped a ball away right before Raducanu broke for a 3-2 lead.

Raducanu struck again at 5-3 to force a decider and made a confident start to the third set while her opponent’s unforced error count mounted.

Yet it was the American who made the first breakthrough and, after being just two points away from victory on Raducanu’s serve, Kenin closed out the win on her first match point.

“It was a rollercoaster match,” Kenin said afterwards. “Emma is such a tough player and she played some great tennis. I’m just super happy to have won.”

Like Raducanu, Kenin has struggled for form since winning the Australian Open in 2020 and reaching the French Open final in in the same year.

She will face title contender Jessica Pegula next after the sixth seed beat Shelby Rogers 6-4 6-3.

Raducanu, 21, meets fellow Grand Slam champion Kenin in their first-round match at around 23:30 BST (18:30 local time).

Three other Britons – Katie Boulter, Jack Draper and Dan Evans – also play on day two of the final major tournament of the 2024 season.

A lot of the attention will again focus on Raducanu, who stunned the world by winning the title in New York as a teenage qualifier.

A year later, Raducanu lost in the first round as she dealt with the scrutiny which followed her seismic success, and missed last year’s tournament after wrist and ankle operations cut short her season.

She has moved back into the world’s top 75 after an encouraging run to the Wimbledon fourth round in July, but has only played one tournament since, when she reached the Washington quarter-finals.

“I love this tournament and I have amazing memories from it. It’s a great feeling to be back and to see my face on the wall and see name on the trophy,” Raducanu said about her return to Flushing Meadows.

“I’m still only 21 so I have a lot of years to win this title and the other Slams. I’m feeling good.”

What else is happening on Tuesday?

British women’s number one Boulter, seeded 31st, starts against Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich at 16:00 BST.

Draper, who is the British men’s number one and seeded 25th, takes on China’s Zhang Zhizhen at about 19:00 BST as the post-Andy Murray era begins in the men’s singles.

Former world number one Murray retired after the Olympic Games last month, when he played alongside Evans in the doubles.

Evans, 34, faces Russian Karen Khachanov at about 18:00 BST as he aims to find joy in a difficult year, which has brought wins in just four singles matches on the ATP Tour.

A host of big names are also in action.

Italian men’s world number Jannik Sinner plays for the first time since it was revealed he had tested positive for a banned substance.

The 23-year-old, who was cleared of fault or negligence by a tribunal last week, faces American hope Mackenzie McDonald on Arthur Ashe Stadium at about 19:30 BST.

Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who is the leading women’s player, opens up Tuesday’s action on Ashe when she plays Kamilla Rakhimova at 17:00 BST.

In the night session, which starts at 00:00 BST on Wednesday, Spanish third seed and 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz plays Australia’s Li Tu, with sixth seed Jessica Pegula taking on Shelby Rogers in an all-American clash afterwards.

Russia’s 2021 men’s champion Daniil Medvedev, recent Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini and American 11th seed Danielle Collins, who will retire at the end of the season, are among the players in action on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Greek 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Kazakh fourth seed Elena Rybakina feature on Grandstand before Raducanu’s match.

The 21-year-old, in her first appearance since a Wimbledon last-16 defeat earlier this month, won five straight games to take the first set but Mertens, the eighth-seeded Belgian, responded well to take the second set.

Having arrived on the east coast of the United States from the UK on Thursday, Raducanu was battling a five-hour time difference as the final set went past 11pm.

But the former US Open champion showed her mental resolve to win the last set, saving five break points at one point to overcome Mertens for the second this month following a win at Wimbledon.

“I was playing some pretty good tennis in patches throughout, especially in the first set and moments in the third set,” said Raducanu.

“I lost some focus in the second. It’s not easy playing at 11:30. I got here Thursday night so I’m still jet-lagged.

“I was telling myself, ‘I’m not leaving. This is not happening. You’re not losing this match’.”

Raducanu, who is still managing her return from ankle and wrist surgery, turned down the opportunity to play at the 2024 Olympics because she did not want to switch back to playing on clay ahead of the hard court season.

The British wildcard, 21, lost 6-2 5-7 6-2 in a dramatic contest on Centre Court.

Raducanu had levelled the match and regained some confidence after a stunning performance from an inspired Sun.

Then Raducanu slipped on the baseline in the first game of the third set.

The 2021 US Open champion stayed down on the grass and shook her head before getting back to her feet.

The game was stopped at 15-30 on Raducanu’s serve and she received treatment – on her leg and back – while laid out on the court.

“I’ve been managing a stiff back since yesterday. I was feeling it during the match,” Raducanu said.

“I think especially on serve, it was affecting me a bit.”

A roar of encouragement greeted Raducanu when it became clear she would carry on.

However, she gingerly lost serve immediately and could not recover the break.

Her movement during points improved, despite clasping her back between games, but she was broken again for 5-2 and could not take either of two break points before Sun served out on her second match point.

It means the world number 135 missed out on reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time in her career, while there are no British players left in the singles draws at the All England Club.

“It was a difficult match. I think Lulu played really good tennis,” added Raducanu.

“I gave my best, I fought really hard. Her tennis was better and she deserved the win.”

Raducanu defeat deflates Wimbledon

Optimism had been rapidly building around Raducanu after she confidently breezed through her opening three matches without dropping a set.

But a confident Sun, who had never won a main-draw match at a Grand Slam until this tournament, demonstrated the powerful game which has allowed her to break new ground.

The quality of her performance disrupted former world number 10 Raducanu and deflated an expectant home crowd.

Raducanu’s defeat came a day after she pulled out of a planned mixed doubles appearance alongside fellow Briton Andy Murray, citing “stiffness” in her right wrist.

Even though it was a sensible precaution having needed surgery on the same wrist last year, the move led to some criticism given it denied Murray the chance to play again in his Wimbledon farewell.

Raducanu looked in good spirits when she practised earlier on Sunday. The smile has returned to her face during the British grass-court swing and a renewed sense of enjoyment has led to some of her best tennis since winning the US Open.

With that came increased expectation, which was further fuelled by facing a qualifier for a place in the quarter-finals.

But, as Raducanu herself said before the contest, qualifiers are dangerous. Her prudence proved prophetic.

Sun rises again

Raducanu achieved a fairytale when she won as a teenage qualifier in New York almost three years ago.

This time, it is Sun’s dreams which are coming true.

Sun, a left-hander born in New Zealand who represented Switzerland until this year, oozed confidence like a player does when they have already won six matches in a row on the Wimbledon grass.

Flashy winners came behind a superb serve, while the confident bounce in her step allowed her to finish off 23 of 28 points at the net.

The 23-year-old was overcome by emotion after reaching the last eight in only the second Grand Slam main-draw appearance of her career.

She had never won at a major until beating Chinese eighth seed Zheng Qinwen in a first-round shock that kick-started this stunning run.

“I had to fight tooth and nail because Emma will still run for every ball and fight until the end,” she said.

“I don’t have the words right now.”

Now Sun will face Croatia’s Donna Vekic, ranked 37th in the world, for a place in the semi-finals.

Raducanu, 21, was beaten 6-2 5-7 6-2 by New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun in the fourth round on Sunday.

It was a disappointing exit after a series of dominant performances had heightened excitement at the All England Club.

But, having reached the fourth round of a major for the first time since winning the 2021 US Open, Raducanu reflected positively on the past week.

“I feel good about things going forwards. I feel optimistic,” said Raducanu, who is set to move back inside the world’s top 100 next week.

“As bitter as it is to take, I think [this defeat] happened for a reason.

“You don’t want things to happen too easily and too quickly. I had that before. I don’t necessarily want just a massive spike.”

Raducanu, who was given a wildcard for the All England Club, was outplayed for much of a fascinating contest.

Having won six matches in a row on the SW19 grass, Sun oozed confidence and hit a flurry of winners.

Raducanu wrestled back momentum by winning the second set but lost serve early in the decider shortly after needing treatment following a fall.

The opening game of the third set was stopped and she received treatment – on her leg and back – while laid out on the court.

Having missed last year’s Wimbledon after having operations on both wrists and her ankle, she added: “Six months ago when I was starting out after surgery, I would have signed for the fourth round at Wimbledon.

“Of course I’m disappointed. Of course I want more.

“It fuels the fire and makes me more hungry.”

‘Tough’ Murray decision was ‘right call’

Raducanu’s defeat came a day after she pulled out of a planned mixed doubles appearance alongside fellow Briton Andy Murray, citing “stiffness” in her right wrist.

Even though it was a sensible precaution – she had needed surgery on the same wrist last year – the move led to some criticism, given it denied Murray the chance to play again in his Wimbledon farewell.

Raducanu said it was a “tough” decision, adding she still stood by “making the right call”.

“With every decision, people are entitled to their opinions. Of course, there was a bit of a cloud around the decision,” she said.

“I don’t think I would have done it any other way.

“I think in this sport, especially as an individual, you have to make your own calls and prioritise yourself.

“Especially with my history, I just had to put myself first.”

Murray, 37, is playing at the Championships for the final time before retiring later this year.

The two-time men’s singles champion decided on Tuesday he was not fit enough to play in the singles after a recent back operation.

Murray will play in the men’s doubles alongside older brother Jamie and has now also opted to join forces with fellow Briton Raducanu in an eye-catching pairing.

Asked after practice on Wednesday how it came about, Murray said: “I was chatting to my team and discussing mixed, so I messaged her coach and asked if he thought it might be something she’d be up for doing. He said it was worth asking, so I did.”

Despite Murray’s worries he had messaged Raducanu too late in the day, he said: “Thankfully, I got a quick reply.

“She said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it’. That was it.”

Murray played with American great Serena Williams in the 2019 mixed doubles at Wimbledon, describing it as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.

Playing alongside 2021 US Open champion Raducanu is set to be another special occasion in the final weeks of his illustrious career.

“I chatted a bit with my team about [mixed doubles] and they said ‘what exactly are you trying to get out of it?'” Murray said.

“Firstly, we want to be competitive in the matches – and playing with another Brit was going to be something that would be nice.”

He added Raducanu is “obviously one of the top British players” and was “top of the list” as a doubles partner.

Speaking after she won in the singles on Wednesday, Raducanu said teaming up with Murray will fulfil a childhood dream.

“My doubles record isn’t exactly the longest or the most vast but I couldn’t say no,” the 2021 US Open champion said.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a young girl.

“Andy’s a hero to us all. It’s a real gift and a real honour that he asked me.”

The mixed doubles is set to start on Friday, with first-round matches also being played on Saturday.

The British pair have been drawn against China’s Zhang Shuai and El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo.

Murray’s opening men’s doubles match with Jamie is third match on Centre Court on Thursday.

Former British number one Raducanu, given a wildcard in her return to the Championships after last year’s injury troubles, struck the ball confidently and clinically in a 6-1 6-2 win.

It is the first time she has reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament since lifting the 2021 US Open title as an 18-year-old qualifier.

Raducanu’s impressive victory came a couple of hours after 22-year-old qualifier Kartal produced the biggest win of her career to beat France’s Clara Burel in three sets.

Kartal, ranked 298th in the world, won 6-3 5-7 6-3 to become the first home player to reach the Wimbledon third round this year.

She will face US Open champion Coco Gauff after the American’s 6-2 6-1 win over Anca Todoni.

From ‘winning ugly’ to winning pretty

If Raducanu’s first-round win was all about “winning ugly”, her dominant victory over 33rd-ranked Mertens was a thing of beauty.

The 21-year-old’s clean ball-striking was a marked improvement from the win over Mexican lucky loser Renata Zarazua.

Raducanu produced a nervy return and a double fault in the opening two points of the match but quickly settled down to assert her authority.

Serving strongly and overpowering Mertens with her power from the baseline was the key.

Now ranked 135th in the world, Raducanu raced through the opening set to the delight of the home fans on Court One and maintained her level in an equally impressive second set.

Missing the clay-court French Open in order to be better prepared for the Wimbledon grass has proved to be a wise decision.

After reaching the Nottingham semi-finals and beating world number five Jessica Pegula on her way to the Eastbourne quarter-finals, Raducanu arrived at Wimbledon in encouraging form.

The way she dismantled Mertens has further excited the British crowd.

Asked in her on-court interview if it was the best she had played in the past few years, several fans in a boisterous crowd shouted ‘yes’.

A laughing Raducanu replied: “Well, everyone else said yes!

“I played really good tennis and I knew all the hard yards would lead to something and I am just happy I can reap some of the rewards here in Wimbledon.”

Raducanu will play Greek ninth seed Maria Sakkari – who she memorably beat to reach the US Open final almost three years ago – in the last 32 on Friday.

Kartal’s ‘special day’ as dream run continues

A memorable week for Kartal continued as she became the second British woman to reach the third round as a qualifier in the Open era, and the first since Karen Cross in 1997.

Kartal previously said she thought she would be unable to take to the tennis court for the rest of this year after a serious health scare, but she recovered to come through qualifying.

The Brighton-born player powered through the first set and led by a break in the second. However, Burel – ranked 253 places above Kartal – fought back to force a decider, her confidence rising as she unleashed some brilliant backhand passes.

Kartal composed herself and broke in the fifth game of the final set when a forehand clipped the net cord and landed on Burel’s side, with a volley sealing another break and the victory.

“Today is a really special day for me,” Kartal said. “Monday was a high but I’ve topped that today.”

Evans unhappy with ‘fancy jackets’

Britain’s Dan Evans complained about authority figures in “fancy jackets” allowing his first-round match to continue late on Tuesday night after he lost when it resumed on Wednesday.

The 34-year-old was beaten 6-2 7-5 6-3 by Chilean 24th seed Alejandro Tabilo.

Evans, ranked 60 in the world, wore heavy strapping on his knee after slipping at the back of the court on the grass at Queen’s Club on 18 June.

Initially Evans feared he would miss Wimbledon, but the injury was a “bad strain” and he recovered in time for his home Grand Slam.

After losing to Tabilo, Evans expressed his displeasure at playing on a court at Wimbledon that he did not deem to be “safe”.

“It’s sort of the second time it’s happened over the grass where I’ve ended up going on pretty late because of the weather, which has been frustrating. It’s just part and parcel of it,” said Evans.

“Obviously, my first concern is to be safe after what happened. Obviously, that grass court wasn’t safe where I slipped I don’t think.

“I didn’t think the court was playable last night for the large majority of the time we were on court.

“The powers that be in the fancy jackets didn’t agree with me and we carried on.”

Raducanu, 21, is one of four Grand Slam champions given such an exemption for the women’s singles.

Japan’s Naomi Osaka, Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki and Germany’s Angelique Kerber, who won the 2018 Wimbledon title, have also been invited to play.

Wildcards are given by the All England Club to players who are not ranked high enough to qualify directly into the main draw.

Raducanu is still on the comeback trail after missing most of last year – including Wimbledon – after wrist and ankle surgeries.

Osaka, Kerber and Wozniacki have all returned to the tour in the past year after giving birth.

British players Heather Watson, Fran Jones and Lily Miyazaki have also been awarded wildcards to the women’s singles.

All seven of the initial wildcards for the men’s singles have been given to British players.

Liam Broady, who has reached the third round in each of the past two years, heads the list.

Last year’s boys’ champion Henry Searle and Billy Harris, who earned the biggest win of his career at Queen’s on Tuesday, have been invited.

Jan Choinski, Jacob Fearnley, Arthur Fery and Paul Jubb will also play.

Wimbledon announced the wildcards on Wednesday. The Grand Slam tournament starts on 1 July.