Emma Raducanu endured a night of emotion, disruption, and determination at the Korea Open, where she battled through a rain-affected opener and admitted afterwards, “It hasn’t been easy.” The 22-year-old Brit looked on the verge of tears during the first set but steadied herself to secure a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 win over Jaqueline Cristian, booking her place in the second round of the WTA 500 event in Seoul.
The match was anything but straightforward. Heavy rain forced delays and reshuffling of the schedule, with Raducanu’s original opening round repeatedly pushed back. By the time she finally stepped onto court, the tension showed, and her emotions spilled over. Yet rather than unravel, she used the moment to rally herself and leaned on the vocal support of the Korean crowd, finding the composure to outlast her opponent. “I’m super happy to have won today,” she said afterwards. “With the rain and delays, it was tough to keep focus, but I’m proud to have got through.”
The victory carried weight beyond the scoreline. Since her fairy-tale US Open triumph in 2021, Raducanu’s journey has been beset by injuries and dips in form. Wrist and ankle surgeries in 2023 forced her to reset her career, and while the path back has been uneven, 2025 has seen promising signs. Runs to the semi-finals in Washington and the last 16 at Wimbledon have restored belief, and with her ranking now climbing into the low 30s, every win matters as she pushes to secure seeded spots at next year’s majors.
Her campaign in Seoul comes at a critical juncture. Raducanu chose to compete here instead of representing Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, a decision that drew some criticism but underlined her focus on rebuilding steadily on the WTA Tour. Working with her coach Francisco Roig, long-time mentor to Rafael Nadal, she has been sharpening her baseline aggression and fine-tuning her tactical discipline. Against Cristian, those improvements were evident in flashes: her two-handed backhand remained a weapon, she took the ball early when chances came, and she held firm in the key moments despite periods of inconsistency.
The conditions only added to the challenge. The humid air and damp courts made the ball bounce unpredictably, testing both patience and concentration. Serving for the match late in the second set, Raducanu faced resistance from Cristian but found a way to close it out, showing the kind of grit and calm that has often been questioned in her game. It was a reminder that while her tennis continues to evolve, her mental fortitude is catching up too.
Next, she faces a sterner challenge against a seeded opponent, one who will demand greater consistency and endurance. But if she can channel the resilience that carried her through her rain-hit debut, Raducanu has a genuine chance to go deep in Seoul. A deep run would not only add valuable ranking points but also provide further momentum ahead of the bigger Asian swing events in Beijing and Wuhan.
For Raducanu, this was more than a routine first-round win. It was a statement that, despite setbacks, doubts, and visible moments of struggle, she remains determined to climb back into the upper echelons of the sport. Her words told the story best: “It hasn’t been easy. But to come through after all the waiting and the conditions, I’m pretty pleased with how I fought.”
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