Defending champion Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka both lose in US Open first round

By Ben Church, CNN

Updated 0911 GMT (1711 HKT) August 31, 2022

Emma Raducanu was beaten by Alizé Cornet in the 2022 US Open first round.

(CNN)It was a night to forget for two of tennis' biggest names as Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu both crashed out of the US Open first round on Tuesday.

On a rainy night in New York, Osaka was beaten by American Danielle Collins in straight sets — 7-6(5) 6-3 — while defending champion Emma Raducanu fell to Alizé Cornet. Raducanu, 19, stunned the world by winning her first grand slam at Flushing Meadows last year, but she's struggled to find similar form ever since. The experience and intensity of the experienced Cornet proved too much for her as she was defeated in straight sets — 6-3 6-3. «This one obviously hurts a bit because it's my favorite tournament and there are a lot of emotions in the past year,» she told reporters after the defeat.Read More«I'm proud for putting myself out there every match, every day, knowing I'm pushing myself to be the best I can.»US Open: Why is it so difficult to win a second grand slam?Raducanu will fall down the rankings after a frustrating year which has been plagued by injuries and changes in her coaching staff. The youngster has struggled to come to terms with life on the full WTA Tour but did show flashes of quality that secured her maiden grand slam title just 12 months ago. Cornet was simply in better form and is now no stranger to big results at the slams, having previously beaten the likes of Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon. The Frenchwoman now holds the Open-era record for the most consecutive grand slam appearances, having appeared in the previous 63. «I think I'm handling my emotions better,» Cornet told reporters after the match. «I guess I'm