Tennis News: Emma Raducanu is tired, Sloane Stephens perseveres, and Belinda Bencic is a mom

Tennis fans were disappointed by Emma Raducanu's first-round loss at the Mutua Madrid Open. In some ways, it is not surprising. Raducanu barely played in the past year having endured three surgeries and extensive rehab afterward. Then, she put together two back-to-back weeks of outstanding play at the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers and in Stuttgart. Her form is returning, but it takes time just as gaining emotional and physical stamina is a process. Raducanu is embracing the clay and will hopefully make waves at the French Open next month after a little rest.

Speaking of fatigue, Sloane Stephens is likely dealing with it also. Part of the reason she chose to play in Rouen last week (where she won the title) was to get acclimated to the time change and feel less jet lag. She is still jet lagged, and the abnormally cold 40-degree morning temperature and high altitude in Madrid have thrown her for a loop.

Stephens had a chance to win her first-round match in straight sets, but the second set got away from her. It turned into a three-hour marathon that she was determined to win because she loves playing on clay, and it would have been a disaster to lose after having those match points. Hopefully, she gets rested quickly because I am a huge Sloane fan who wants to see her shine on the clay throughout the spring.

Emma Raducanu and Sloane Stephens continue to play while Belinda Bencic is enjoying time off as a new mom

The tennis moms' club has expanded to add a new member. Belinda Bencic and her partner Martin Hromkovic announced the birth of their daughter Bella on April 23. Bencic, 27, is enjoying the life-changing moments a newborn baby provides. She eventually plans to return to tennis, but no timetable has been shared. She is the reigning Olympic champion in women's singles defeating Marketa Vondrousova in the gold medal match at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and she is a silver medalist in women's doubles. Will she attempt a comeback to defend her Olympic medals in Paris this summer?

Petra Kvitova will soon be joining Bencic in the tennis moms' club. She has been off the tour in 2024 and is expecting her first child this summer.

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