Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu suffered a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) defeat at the hands of Diane Parry in her first clay-court tournament of 2026 at the Internationaux de Strasbourg on Tuesday. This marked Raducanu's return to the WTA Tour after a two-month hiatus due to a post-viral illness. Raducanu, ranked 37th, accepted a replacement spot in the WTA 500 event and was joined by her former coach Andrew Richardson, whom she recently rehired. Parry, ranked 94th, had won the Clarins WTA 125 in Paris just days earlier, having clinched the title after her opponent, Madison Keys, was unable to continue the final match. The French player, who appeared fatigued from her recent travels, faced Raducanu, who was still recovering from a previous defeat to Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells. Despite Raducanu’s sharp movement, Parry’s superior play and a series of double faults from Raducanu led to the victory. In the first set, Raducanu broke for a 4-2 lead but lost the advantage in the next game. Parry’s strong forehand and a drying court contributed to her success. In the second set, Raducanu again secured an early advantage but Parry quickly responded. The match went to a tie-break, where Parry capitalized on Raducanu’s errors to secure the win. With only one clay-court match under her belt, Raducanu will now head into the French Open, which begins on May 24. Tim Henman, a former British No. 1, recently backed Raducanu's decision to reappoint Richardson ahead of the upcoming summer season. Raducanu expressed gratitude for reconnecting with Richardson and looks forward to building their relationship one step at a time. “Grateful to have reconnected with someone who has known me for over a decade now and looking forward to building together one iteration at a time,” said Raducanu. The decision to rehire Richardson continues a pattern of Raducanu favoring coaches she worked with prior to her rapid ascent to superstardom.