Emma Raducanu’s electrifying performance at the 2025 Cincinnati Open may have ended in defeat, but it was a resounding statement of her resurgence. The 22-year-old British star, ranked No. 39, took world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to the limit in a thrilling third-round match, falling 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) after three hours and nine minutes of relentless tennis. Despite the loss, Raducanu’s display was a beacon of progress, as she outscored Sabalenka 125-123 in total points and pushed the reigning US Open champion harder than in their Wimbledon clash earlier in 2025. “She’s world No. 1 for a reason, and I pushed her more than I did at Wimbledon, so that’s an improvement,” Raducanu said, her voice brimming with pride. The match, played under sweltering 33°C heat, showcased her growing confidence on hard courts and set an optimistic tone for the upcoming US Open.
Raducanu’s journey in Cincinnati began with a first-round bye, courtesy of her No. 30 seeding, earned through a ranking surge and withdrawals from top players like Mirra Andreeva and Qinwen Zheng. In the second round, she dispatched Serbia’s Olga Danilovic 6-3, 6-2, a victory that highlighted her aggressive baseline play and sharp movement. “We’ve been putting a lot of hours on the court, which is great,” Raducanu said of her preparation with new coach Francisco Roig, whose experience with Rafael Nadal brought a calm assurance to her game. Facing Sabalenka, Raducanu started with a bang, winning the first eight points to race to a 2-0 lead. Her serving was a standout, with only five missed first serves in the second set, where she clinched a crucial break with a second-serve ace. “I think starting the point is a big takeaway,” she noted, emphasizing her improved serve and return in key moments.
The match’s defining moment came in the third set’s eighth game, a 23-minute epic with 13 deuces where Raducanu saved four break points to hold serve. The intensity drew gasps from the crowd, but distractions arose when a crying baby disrupted her focus. “It’s been, like, 10 minutes,” Raducanu told the umpire, gesturing toward the noise. The umpire’s blunt reply—“It’s a child. Do you want me to kick the child out?”—sparked a light-hearted moment as fans jokingly shouted “yes,” and Raducanu smiled, refocusing. Another flashpoint occurred when she was warned for approaching Roig during a changeover, breaching WTA coaching rules. “I can’t hear anything because the music is really loud,” she explained, apologizing for the misunderstanding. Roig’s vocal guidance, including shouts of “You’re better than her,” fueled her fight, though Sabalenka’s tiebreak prowess—extending her Open-era record to 16 straight—sealed the victory.
Raducanu’s performance was a psychological breakthrough, especially on hard courts, which she’s long considered less favorable than grass. “I was always thinking that grass suits me a lot more, and I still believe that, so to have pushed her on a hard court like that, I’m pretty proud,” she said. Her first week with Roig showed promise, with tactical improvements evident in her serve patterns and forehand shape. “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 reflected. Sabalenka, gracious in victory, praised her opponent’s progress: “As I said after Wimbledon, I’m really happy to see her healthy, mentally and physically. She’s such an incredible player.”
Despite earning 65 ranking points and $32,840, Raducanu slipped to No. 35 in the WTA Live Rankings, making a US Open seeding unlikely. Yet, her 2025 season, with top-10 wins over Jessica Pegula and Maria Sakkari, signals a return to form after injury-plagued years. “You take the lessons from this,” she said, eyeing Flushing Meadows, where she won as a qualifier in 2021. This Cincinnati epic, filled with grit, drama, and near-misses, underscores Raducanu’s readiness to challenge the elite, proving she’s not just back—she’s closing the gap.
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