Tennis expert and former WTA player Katerina Teruzzi believes Clara Tauson’s best route back to the form that lifted her to No. 11 in the world is to focus on getting fully fit.

Clara Tauson suffered another disappointing Grand Slam exit on Monday, crashing out in the first round of the US Open for the third consecutive time. The Dane appeared to be in control against former US Open champion Sloane Stephens before suffering a dramatic collapse that allowed the American to complete the comeback.

Tauson was particularly critical of her own performance afterwards, admitting she “couldn’t recognize herself on the court” and apologising to reporters for her level.

“I don’t feel great. I played a really, really bad match. I felt like I looked like an idiot out there,” Tauson said.

She also admitted she was unable to find answers once the momentum shifted.

“I couldn’t find any solutions to anything at all.”

Asked about the sudden change after she had led 4-2 in the opening set, Tauson acknowledged that there were no excuses for the way her confidence and performance disappeared.

The 23-year-old revealed in May that she had been dealing with two herniated discs in her back, problems that have significantly disrupted her 2026 campaign after she reached a career-high ranking of 11th in the world last year.

Her season has been repeatedly interrupted by physical issues. Tauson retired during her opening-round match against Ajla Tomljanović in Adelaide in January because of hamstring and physical discomfort, just before the Australian Open.

In March, she was forced to withdraw from the Miami Open during her second-round encounter with Katie Boulter after suffering acute back pain.

Tauson subsequently skipped the Stuttgart Open in April and withdrew from Madrid shortly before her scheduled singles match because of a secondary right shoulder injury following her back rehabilitation.

Her injury problems continued at the Italian Open in May, where she retired against Oleksandra Oliynykova because of lingering back pain.

According to Flashscore tennis expert Katerina Teruzzi, Tauson’s priority now should be to step back, recover fully and return only when she is physically ready.

“Playing through pain when you are not 100% makes no sense; it brings no results, no peace of mind, and ultimately only leads to a ranking drop and frustration. Look at Carlos Alcaraz — he stayed out for five months just to make sure he was fully prepared and to avoid long-term issues.”

“Even minimal discomfort — in Clara’s case, primarily physical, which inevitably spills over into psychology, decision-making on court, and movement — makes it incredibly hard to handle.

“Taking a proper break to get 100% healthy is completely fine, and once she does, she can definitely return close to the Top 10,” Teruzzi added.

Despite Tauson’s current struggles, Teruzzi believes the Dane remains capable of competing with the world’s best and insists the quality that previously took her into the Top 10 is still there.

“One should remember that she has still managed to beat great players recently, like Ekaterina Alexandrova, Diana Schnaider and Sara Bejlek, who recently won a WTA tournament, while she also pushed Karolina Muchová, a Wimbledon finalist, and Barbora Krejcikova, a Wimbledon champion, to three sets.

“So the quality is definitely still there.”

Teruzzi also pointed out how competitive the women’s game has become, with even small differences capable of determining the outcome of matches.

“When a player is at that level, the field is extremely competitive and tiny nuances make all the difference. By reaching the level where Tauson is, you have more demanding matches, higher mental pressure, and greater physical tolls.

“A player has to adapt continuously to stay at the top, so many factors have to align. She is still a relatively young player, and her recent results already show an improving trend.”

Tauson will now turn her attention to the US Open doubles tournament before she is expected to travel to Asia for the remainder of the season.

US Open 2026

The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam of the tennis season, taking place from August 30 to September 13. The hard-court tournament is held at Flushing Meadows in New York City. Follow the links below for more information.