As the tennis world turns its focus to Flushing Meadows for the 2025 US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year, Emma Raducanu, the 2021 champion, finds herself at a pivotal moment. Her recent performance at the Cincinnati Open, a key warm-up event, has left her on the cusp of missing a coveted seeding spot, setting the stage for a challenging yet potentially defining campaign in New York. Despite a valiant effort against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Raducanu’s third-round exit in Cincinnati has seen her slip to No. 35 or 36 in the live WTA rankings, likely placing her outside the top 32 seeds for the tournament running from August 25 to September 7. However, with her trademark resilience and a new coaching partnership fueling her momentum, the 22-year-old Briton is poised to make waves at the scene of her historic triumph.
### A Gritty Cincinnati Campaign
Raducanu entered the Cincinnati Open as the No. 30 seed, earning a first-round bye before facing Serbia’s Olga Danilovic in the second round. She dispatched Danilovic in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, showcasing the aggressive baseline play and world-class two-handed backhand that have defined her game. “I served and returned really well in certain moments,” Raducanu reflected, highlighting her ability to control points early in rallies. This victory marked her first competitive outing with new coach Francisco Roig, formerly part of Rafael Nadal’s team, whose vocal encouragement and tactical guidance were evident courtside. “I think the first week went well,” she said of their partnership. “I made some improvements and I think for certain moments, you could see some stuff we practiced peek through.”
The third round pitted Raducanu against Sabalenka, a rematch of their intense Wimbledon clash earlier in 2025. In a three-hour, nine-minute epic, Raducanu pushed the top seed to the brink, falling 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5). The match featured a remarkable 23-minute game in the deciding set, where Raducanu saved four break points across 13 deuces to hold serve. “She’s world No. 1 for a reason and I pushed her more than I did at Wimbledon, so that’s an improvement,” Raducanu noted, expressing pride in her performance on the hard courts, a surface she believes suits her less than grass. Despite her resilience, Sabalenka’s tiebreak prowess—extending her streak to 16 consecutive wins—proved decisive, ending Raducanu’s Cincinnati run and dimming her seeding prospects for the US Open.
### Seeding Implications and US Open Outlook
Raducanu’s live ranking of No. 34 after Cincinnati, bolstered by her third-round points, initially positioned her for a potential seeding, especially with injuries sidelining players like Zheng Qinwen and Paula Badosa. However, recent performances by others, such as Veronika Kudermetova’s win over Clara Tauson, have pushed Raducanu to the edge of the top 32. Unless further withdrawals occur, she faces the prospect of an unseeded draw, increasing the likelihood of early clashes with top players like Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, or Iga Swiatek. “Raducanu will be ranked 35 or 36 for the US Open. Outside the top 32,” one observer noted, emphasizing the importance of her draw placement. A favorable draw, avoiding the top seeds in the early rounds, could be key to a deep run.
Despite the seeding setback, Raducanu remains optimistic. “This is my first year on tour playing most of the calendar,” she said, reflecting on her consistent 2025 season. Her summer hard-court campaign showed promise, with a semifinal run at the Washington Open and a third-round appearance at the Canadian Open, where she defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Peyton Stearns before falling to Amanda Anisimova. These results, coupled with her Cincinnati performance, have boosted her confidence. “I’m pretty proud of it,” she said of her effort against Sabalenka, noting the progress made since her 2021 US Open triumph, where she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam.
### A New Chapter with Roig
Raducanu’s partnership with Roig, formalized in August 2025, marks a significant step in her development. Roig’s emphasis on “first-strike” tennis—aggressive early shots and topspin-heavy serves—has re-energized her game. During the Cincinnati match, Raducanu won 75% of her first-serve points, a marked improvement from earlier struggles. Sabalenka herself praised Raducanu’s trajectory, saying, “She’s improving and getting better, and she definitely gonna get back into the top 10.” This endorsement from the world No. 1 underscores Raducanu’s potential to reclaim her place among the elite.
### Challenges and Resilience
Raducanu’s journey since her 2021 US Open victory has been turbulent, marked by injuries, coaching changes, and off-court challenges, including stalking incidents in 2022 and 2025 that tested her mental fortitude. Yet, her performance against Sabalenka demonstrated her growing resilience. Facing a crying child in the stands during a critical moment, Raducanu paused to address the distraction, earning crowd support and showcasing her composure under pressure. Her ability to navigate such moments, combined with her technical improvements, bodes well for New York.
As Raducanu prepares for the US Open, where she has not won a match since her 2021 title, she carries a renewed sense of purpose. “I will return to New York feeling calmer and more confident about myself and my prospects than I have since I won the title four years ago,” she declared. With Roig in her corner and a game that’s evolving, Raducanu is ready to tackle the challenges of an unseeded draw. Fans can watch her quest for a second Grand Slam title live on Sky Sports Tennis from August 24, as she aims to rediscover the magic that captivated the tennis world four years ago.
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