Emma Raducanu falls to Antonia Ruzic in Dubai Tennis Championships opener

By Mark Walker, Press Association

Emma Raducanu lost the final six games to fall to a 6-1 5-7 6-2 defeat to ‘lucky loser’ Antonia Ruzic in the opening round at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The British number one, whose original opponent Elisabetta Cocciaretto withdrew at late notice due to fatigue, fought back in the second set to level the match and led 2-0 in the decider before losing all momentum.

Croatia’s Ruzic, who lost in the final round of the qualifiers, seized her chance against the British number one, who had withdrawn from her first-round match at last week’s Qatar Open.

Emma Raducanu is beaten 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 by Antonia Ružić in Dubai #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | @WTA pic.twitter.com/LVYiGPgIiz

— LTA (@the_LTA) February 16, 2026

Raducanu never recovered after falling 3-0 behind in the opening set and was broken twice as Ruzic wrapped it up in half-an-hour.

The Brit lost her serve again to trail 5-3 in the second set, but battled back with two breaks of her own, winning four games on the trot to win it 7-5 and level the match.

A third-straight break for Raducanu put her 2-0 up in the decider, but Ruzic wrestled back control in a see-saw encounter, winning the next six games to take the set 6-2 and seal victory in two hours and 20 minutes.