Emma Raducanu’s third-round match at the 2025 Cincinnati Open was a spectacle of high-octane tennis and off-court drama, as the 22-year-old British star battled world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a three-hour, nine-minute epic. Despite falling 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) on August 11, 2025, Raducanu’s performance was a bold statement of her resurgence, pushing the defending US Open champion to the brink. The match, played under sweltering 33°C heat at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, was marked by a heated exchange with the chair umpire over a crying baby and a coaching violation, adding fuel to an already intense encounter. “I pushed her more than I did at Wimbledon, so that’s an improvement,” Raducanu said, reflecting on her progress despite the defeat.
Raducanu, ranked No. 39 and seeded 30th, entered the tournament with momentum after a 6-3, 6-2 rout of Olga Danilovic in the second round, bolstered by her new coach, Francisco Roig. Facing Sabalenka, a rematch of their 2025 Wimbledon clash, she started strong, racing to a 2-0 lead with eight straight points. The first set was a rollercoaster, with Raducanu’s aggressive baseline play countered by Sabalenka’s power. A pivotal moment came in the third set’s eighth game, a 23-minute marathon with 13 deuces where Raducanu saved four break points. As she prepared to serve, a crying baby in the stands disrupted her focus. “It’s been, like, 10 minutes,” she told chair umpire Clare Wood, gesturing toward the noise. Wood’s sharp reply—“It’s a child. Do you want me to kick the child out?”—drew laughter from the crowd and a wry smile from Raducanu, who quipped, “No, it’s fine,” before refocusing. Some fans shouted “yes” in jest, amplifying the moment’s virality.
The drama escalated when Raducanu faced a warning for breaching WTA coaching rules by approaching Roig during a changeover in the first set. “I can’t hear anything because the music is really loud,” she explained, unaware that actively seeking her coach’s advice violated the 2025 on-court coaching regulations, which permit verbal communication only when player and coach are at the same end of the court. “Emma, you cannot actively approach him, and he cannot leave his position. You cannot have a conversation,” Wood stated firmly. Raducanu, surprised, responded, “Okay, sorry, I didn’t know that,” and requested a referee to clarify the rule for Roig, who had been vocal with encouragements like “You’re better than her!” The incident sparked debate, with fans on X noting, “Raducanu getting a warning from the chair umpire about coaching from the sidelines. He doesn’t shut up! But it seems to be working so.”
Despite the distractions, Raducanu’s performance was a masterclass in resilience. She outscored Sabalenka 125-123 in total points, with a standout second set where a second-serve ace clinched a 6-4 win. “I think starting the point is a big takeaway,” she said, highlighting her improved serve, missing only five first serves in the second set. Sabalenka praised her opponent’s growth: “I’m really happy to see her healthy, mentally and physically. She’s such an incredible player.” Raducanu’s 65 ranking points and $32,840 in prize money pushed her career earnings to $5,337,073, though a slip to No. 35 in the WTA Live Rankings makes a US Open seeding unlikely.
As Raducanu prepares for Flushing Meadows, where she won as a qualifier in 2021, her Cincinnati run—marked by a clash with the umpire, a baby’s cries, and a near-upset of the world No. 1—signals her readiness to compete with the elite. “I was able to play some good tennis for patches of the match, but it also dropped off for other patches. So I think with work and going on the practice court, I can do it for longer,” she said, optimistic about her partnership with Roig. With top-10 wins over Jessica Pegula and Maria Sakkari in 2025, Raducanu’s Cincinnati performance, despite the loss, is a powerful reminder of her potential to reclaim Grand Slam glory.
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