Emma Raducanu Loses to Maria Sakkari in United Cup Return

Emma Raducanu's return to action ended in defeat as Maria Sakkari of Greece secured a 6-3 3-6 6-1 win in the United Cup. Raducanu, competing for the first time since October, initially took the lead in the opening set but Sakkari fought back to claim it. The British player then levelled the match by winning the second set but faded in the decider, with Sakkari proving too strong. This was Raducanu's first loss to Sakkari, with their previous meeting taking place during Raducanu's US Open title run in 2021. Meanwhile, Great Britain's Fran Jones achieved the biggest win of her career, defeating world number 15 Emma Navarro 7-5 2-6 6-4 in the ASB Classic.