WATCH: Bizarre scenes as Emma Raducanu deals with unexpected interruption in Eastbourne opener

Emma Raducanu recently claimed a hard-fought win in her opening round at the Eastbourne Open. However, before the Brit managed to get the better of American Ann Li, she had to deal with an unexpected interruption in her match.

For Raducanu, Eastbourne offers an important opportunity to prepare for the upcoming Wimbledon championships. The 22-year-old had a strong start to her grass court season, reaching the quarterfinals of the Queen's Club Championships. However, recurring back issues forced her to pull out of the Berlin Open.

Now, Emma Raducanu is back in action and recently took to court against Ann Li at the Eastbourne Open. During the first set, the Brit was preparing to serve when a seagull flew across her eyeline, causing an unexpected interruption that left the audience in the stand in splits. Watch a video of the moment below:

This isn't the first time Raducanu has had to deal with a seagull interfering with her match. The tennis star had previously dealt with the same trouble at the Australian Open in 2022.

Emma Raducanu reflects on her hard-fought victory over Ann Li, opens up about receiving ‘bad news’ before her match

Raducanu at the Lexus Eastbourne Open (Image Source: Getty)

For Emma Raducanu, her opening round victory at the Eastbourne Open didn't come easy. The Brit looked down and out for much of the first set as an in-form Li dished out multiple winners. However, she was able to turn things around just in time, claiming a 6(5)-7, 6-3, 6-1 win that left her in tears.

After the match, Raducanu thanked the crowd in her on-court interview, saying,

“I feel incredible. I just want to thank the crowd for getting me through some really sticky moments. It meant a lot to me, and I'm so proud of how I fought back. It was a tough match. Ann was hitting winners, and it was obviously very windy. I'm just very, very proud to have come through.'

In a post-match press conference, Raducanu revealed that she had received some bad news before she got down to action, telling BBC,

“I received some pretty bad news so I would like to keep it personal if that’s okay, but it was difficult and very emotional at the end and probably just a release of different emotions. Mentally, in the first set, I wasn’t really present. Fran Jones (British player) was there for me because she’s a good friend of mine, so she knows what’s going on behind the scenes. Having her support me was so meaningful.”

Up next, Emma Raducanu will face off against Australia’s Maya Joint at the Eastbourne Open. The duo played each other earlier this year in Rome, where Raducanu emerged victorious after a gruelling three-set battle.

Edited by Riddhi Acharya