Emma Raducanu has taken a hefty fall in the tennis world rankings after she was unable to defend her US Open title.

The former world number 10 has plummeted a total of 72 places following her early exit from Flushing Meadows.

Raducanu suffered a shock first round defeat at the hands of Alizé Cornet, which ended her reign as US Open champion.

The 19-year-old is now ranked 83rd in the world but still holds the British number one status. However, she is just two places above Harriet Dart, meaning she could well be usurped by her compatriot in the coming months if she continues to struggle with her form.

Why has Emma Raducanu lost ranking points?

Raducanu was always going to lose ranking points, even if she had retained her title in New York.

At a Grand Slam, players will earn a certain amount of points depending on how far they make it through the competition, with 2,000 being awarded to the champion.

In 2021, Raducanu scooped 2,040 points following her fairytale US Open triumph, which made her the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam title.

Because she played through three qualifying matches before entering the main draw, she earned an additional 40 points on top of the 2,000 for winning.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Emma Raducanu of Great Britain celebrates with the championship trophy after defeating Leylah Annie Fernandez of Canada during their Women's Singles final match on Day Thirteen of the 2021 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 11, 2021 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

As reigning champion, the Brit did not have to enter the qualifying rounds this year, meaning the extra 40 points earned in 2021 would still have been deducted regardless of whether she won the tournament or not.

The magnitude of Raducanu's descent through the world rankings all depended on how well she performed at the 2022 US Open.

Because she did not win a match during the competition, she earned just 10 points and lost the 2,040 she accumulated last year.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 30: Alize Cornet of France is congratulated by Emma Raducanu of Great Britain after their Women's Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2022 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

What does this mean for Emma Raducanu?

While it is certainly a hefty drop to face, Raducanu seems unfazed by the circumstances.

Her historic victory last year catapulted her into the spotlight and she rose more than 300 places in the world rankings.

She was ranked 336th in the world when she made her WTA main draw debut at the Nottingham Open in June 2021. By the time she had stunned the world with her US Open win, she had skyrocketed to 22nd in the world.

Raducanu's rise kept on going and she reached a career high of world number 10.

MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 18: Emma Raducanu of Great Britain reacts against Jessica Pegula of the United States during their match on day six of the Western & Southern Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 18, 2022 in Mason, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Ahead of the 2022 US Open, the Brit had a lot of pressure on her shoulders and a big target on her back. She was the one to beat, regardless of her overall form in 2022.

It was unwelcome stress, according to the former champion, and she seemed extremely uninterested in entertaining the idea that at 19, she should be winning Grand Slam after Grand Slam.

"If I lose 2,000 points, so be it, I’ll start again from the bottom," Raducanu said recently. "I know I can do something that no one else has done. 

"I qualified and won the US Open, so I can start from the beginning, I can start from zero and I’m not afraid of that."

Raducanu is now 83rd in the WTA rankings but there is still plenty of time to climb back up the table and re-establish herself among the best players in the world.

Her next match will be against Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska at the Slovenia Open later today.