In the humid haze of Seoul’s Olympic Park Tennis Center, Emma Raducanu etched another chapter in her rollercoaster tennis journey, battling not just her opponent but a storm of emotions that left her wiping away tears mid-match. The 22-year-old British sensation, still chasing the elusive consistency that defined her stunning 2021 US Open triumph, secured a gritty first-round victory at the Korea Open, defeating Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian 6-3, 6-4. It was a win that felt hard-earned, shadowed by relentless rain delays and an inner turmoil that briefly threatened to overwhelm her on court.
The match, originally slated for Tuesday, had been postponed due to torrential downpours that turned the courts into makeshift ponds. Wednesday brought more frustration: another deluge forced officials to pause play repeatedly as workers scrambled to clear standing water. When the action finally resumed, Raducanu stepped onto the baseline with the weight of expectation pressing down. Ranked world No. 33, she entered as the tournament’s eighth seed, but her recent form had been a mixed bag—highlighted by a third-round exit at the US Open last month to Elena Rybakina, where she showed flashes of brilliance amid ongoing battles with injuries and form dips.
From the outset, the encounter was a tense affair. Raducanu opened with a double fault, handing Cristian an early edge in the first game. The Romanian, world No. 41 and no stranger to upsets with her recent solid results on the tour, capitalized swiftly, breaking serve to surge ahead 2-0. Raducanu, however, is nothing if not resilient. She clawed back, saving four break points in a marathon hold to get on the board. The set seesawed, with deuces stretching games into eternity under the slow, heavy conditions that favored long rallies and testing endurance.
By the sixth game, with the score locked at 3-3 after Raducanu broke back with a determined forehand winner, the pressure seemed to crack her facade. Cameras caught the moment: the former Grand Slam champion dabbing at her eyes during the changeover, her shoulders heaving as she fought to compose herself. Tears welled up, a raw display of vulnerability that silenced the sparse crowd braving the drizzling remnants of the storm. Was it the frustration of the delays, the sting of unforced errors, or something deeper gnawing at her? Raducanu didn’t elaborate, but the emotional surge fueled a turnaround. She broke again immediately, her strokes sharpening with renewed fire, and sealed the set 6-3 on a comfortable hold, landing 67 percent of her first serves while converting key opportunities.
The second set mirrored the drama, a break-fest where neither player could hold serve reliably. Cristian struck first, grabbing the opening two games, but Raducanu responded with a break of her own in the third, her five aces punctuating the shift in momentum. The pair traded breaks relentlessly—Cristian reclaiming the lead, only for Raducanu to counter with the match’s highlight: a blistering rally that ended with a cross-court winner that left her opponent scrambling. By the ninth game, another break put Raducanu on the cusp of victory. Cristian mounted one last push, earning a break point in the final game, but the Brit held firm on her first match point, collapsing in relief as the umpire called game, set, match.
Post-match, Raducanu opened up with an honest reflection that captured the ordeal. “I’m super happy to have won,” she said, her voice steady but laced with exhaustion. “It hasn’t been easy. I feel like I’ve played this match the last three days. To have pulled through after waiting, I’m super pleased at how I came through. Jaqueline is a really tough opponent and has had great results recently. (They were) tough conditions, very slow, long rallies and long points, so happy to have got through. A big thank you to everyone who came out here and supported through the rain. Thank you to everyone.”
This victory comes at a pivotal moment for Raducanu, who made headlines earlier in the week for a controversial choice: opting out of Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup finals squad to prioritize the Asian swing of the WTA tour. The decision, aimed at accumulating crucial ranking points ahead of the 2026 Australian Open, blindsided Team GB captain Anne Keothavong, who had handpicked Raducanu for the tie against Japan in Shenzhen, China. Raducanu had been instrumental in Britain’s semi-final run at last year’s event in Malaga but skipped qualifiers earlier this year. Keothavong, while expressing disappointment, rallied around her remaining players—Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Jodie Burrage, and newcomer Fran Jones, a close friend of Raducanu’s. “It’s obviously disappointing, but I do want the main focus to be on the players I have and the challenge we have ahead,” Keothavong shared. “I believe in the players that I’ve got. How the team were able to perform in April to get us into this position was fantastic, and I see no reason why we can’t do the same. Players will make decisions they feel is in their best interest, but my focus is just on this team. We take a huge amount of pride in this competition and we do want to be world champions.”
Raducanu’s tears echoed a haunting incident earlier this year at the Dubai Open, where she broke down during a match against Karolina Muchova, seeking solace behind the umpire’s chair amid a terrifying stalker saga. The individual, who had confronted her in Dubai with a disturbing letter, faced a restraining order but later tried to procure Wimbledon tickets despite the ban—a chilling reminder of the off-court pressures that shadow her career.
For Raducanu, whose path since that fairy-tale US Open win has been marked by coaching carousel changes, injury setbacks, and the grind of reclaiming her peak, this Korea Open triumph feels like a statement. It’s her first win since Flushing Meadows, a step toward rebuilding momentum on the slower hard courts that test her all-court game. Next up looms a daunting last-16 clash against former Wimbledon champion and No. 8 seed Barbora Krejcikova on Thursday, a battle that could propel her deeper into the draw and silence doubters. In a sport that demands both steel and soul, Raducanu’s raw display in Seoul underscores her humanity—a fighter whose tears only sharpen her resolve. As she eyes the horizon, one thing is clear: the journey back to the top is as emotional as it is exhilarating.
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