On a vibrant Monday at the 2025 French Open, Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, battled through illness and a formidable opponent to secure a thrilling 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory over China’s Wang Xinyu in the first round. The 22-year-old Briton, ranked No. 41, showcased a revitalized forehand that she described as a developing “weapon,” pivotal in her triumph on the clay of Court 8. Facing a tough test against the No. 43-ranked Wang, Raducanu’s resilience and evolving game set up a blockbuster second-round clash with four-time champion Iga Swiatek. Her performance, marked by 18 forehand winners and a newfound aggression, signaled a maturing talent ready to challenge the elite on a surface once considered her weakest.
Raducanu’s journey to this moment has been anything but straightforward. After her historic US Open win as a qualifier, injuries and inconsistency plagued her, including wrist and ankle surgeries in 2023 that sidelined her for much of the season. Her 2025 clay campaign, however, has shown promise. A quarterfinal run at the Italian Open, where she defeated top-20 players like Veronika Kudermetova, and a commanding 6-1, 6-3 upset over world No. 17 Daria Kasatkina in Strasbourg highlighted her growing comfort on clay. “I’m beginning to like it more and more,” Raducanu said of the surface, a stark contrast to her early career struggles, including a first-round retirement at the 2022 Italian Open. Her recent work with temporary coach Mark Petchey, a former mentor to Andy Murray, has refined her game, particularly her forehand. “I enjoy looking for it and seeing how far out of the centre I can run around and how many backhands I can take as forehands,” she explained, noting the shot’s versatility since her Miami Open quarterfinal run in March.
Against Wang, Raducanu’s forehand was a game-changer, delivering 18 winners to just eight unforced errors. The match, a near-three-hour marathon, tested her physical and mental resolve. Waking up feeling “really sick,” she required a medical timeout late in the first set, with ice applied to her face and her blood pressure checked. “I’m actually really proud of today’s match, more so than a lot of the matches that I played recently, because I woke up and I felt really sick,” she said. Despite a 5-1 deficit in the second set, exacerbated by a disputed line call, Raducanu clawed back both breaks, only for Wang to level the match. “I was just thinking to try to get off to a good start in the third because I knew that would help me keep my spirits up,” she recalled. Her third-set break, fueled by aggressive forehand play, proved decisive, securing her first Roland Garros win since 2022.
Comparisons to Andy Murray emerged, with Annabel Croft praising Raducanu’s “moonball” tactics on BBC Radio 5. “She does a lot of what Andy Murray did in his career… it allowed him to reset the point,” Croft noted, highlighting Raducanu’s ability to neutralize Wang’s power with high, looping shots. Her forehand, however, stole the show, with Raducanu explaining, “I think just in terms of angle I have a lot more options when I look for a forehand on that middle ball.” This tactical shift, developed since Miami under Petchey’s guidance, has given her a dual-threat game, complementing her “world-class” two-handed backhand, as described by Anne Keothavong.
The victory, her fourth three-set win of 2025, underscores Raducanu’s growing mental toughness. “I have had a lot more three-set matches this year and come out successful more than in the past, which gives me more confidence,” she said. Facing Swiatek, who leads their head-to-head 4-0, including a 6-1, 6-0 rout at the Australian Open, Raducanu remains undaunted. “It’s a match where I can really test and challenge myself,” she said, embracing the chance to “go for my shots” against the clay-court queen. Swiatek, despite a dip to No. 5, cruised past Rebecca Sramkova 6-3, 6-3, acknowledging Raducanu’s threat: “She’s a great player and has a great forehand.”
As Raducanu prepares for the daunting Philippe-Chatrier stage, she criticized the tournament’s scheduling, noting, “Certain players get preferential treatment” for practice time on bigger courts. Yet, her focus remains on her game’s evolution. With a 12-8 clay record this season and a No. 39 live ranking, she’s closing in on a top-32 seeding for Wimbledon. Her journey, marked by a “fresh start” and a more relaxed approach off-court, reflects a player rediscovering her joy in tennis. “Character, and heart, and fight, that really came through today,” she said, a testament to her resolve as she aims to bridge the gap to the top.
# Emma Raducanu’s Resurgent Forehand Shines in Gritty French Open Victory
## Breakthrough Performance
On May 26, 2025, Emma Raducanu, ranked No. 41, defeated Wang Xinyu 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in a 2-hour-44-minute first-round French Open match. Her forehand, with 18 winners, was key. “I enjoy looking for it… I have a lot more options,” she said, calling it a developing “weapon.”
## Overcoming Adversity
Despite waking “really sick” and needing a medical timeout, Raducanu persevered. “I’m actually really proud of today’s match… because I felt really sick,” she said. After losing a 5-1 second-set lead, she regrouped: “I was just thinking to try to get off to a good start in the third.”
## Tactical Evolution
Annabel Croft likened Raducanu’s moonball to Andy Murray’s, noting, “It allowed him to reset the point.” Raducanu’s forehand, refined since Miami, complemented her “world-class” backhand. “I’m really committed to the shots,” she said, highlighting her aggressive clay-court growth.
## Facing Swiatek
Raducanu faces Iga Swiatek, who leads 4-0, next. “It’s a match where I can really test and challenge myself,” Raducanu said, despite Swiatek’s 6-3, 6-3 win over Sramkova. Her 12-8 clay record and No. 39 live ranking signal a rising threat.
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