The 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C., has been a stage for both triumph and tribulation for Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion. On July 26, the 22-year-old Brit captivated fans with a gritty 6-4, 7-5 singles quarterfinal victory over Maria Sakkari, securing her first WTA 500 semifinal in nearly four years. However, her mid-match retirement from the doubles semifinal alongside Elena Rybakina, trailing 4-1 against Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai, raised alarm bells about her physical condition. Raducanu’s candid admission, “I’m not feeling the best right now, so I just need to go and speak to the doctors,” underscored the toll of Washington’s punishing heat and humidity, casting doubts on her fitness as she prepares for a critical singles semifinal against Anna Kalinskaya.
Raducanu’s journey in Washington was a tale of resilience until the doubles setback. Her singles run began with an upset over No. 7 seed Marta Kostyuk, followed by a commanding 6-4, 6-2 win over four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. Against Sakkari, Raducanu staged a remarkable comeback, reeling off the final five games of the second set after trailing 5-2. The two-hour, 10-minute battle under temperatures soaring to 97°F and a heat index near 100°F pushed her to the brink, requiring a medical timeout to check her vitals. “It was one of the toughest matches, conditions-wise, I have ever played in,” she said, describing the humidity as feeling “like you have just opened an oven and it just stayed open and your head is in there.” Despite her exhaustion, she toughed it out, noting, “I was getting a bit wobbly. I’m just happy I could close it out, and it was two sets.”
The doubles campaign with Rybakina, affectionately dubbed “Rybacanu,” had been a fan favorite. The pair, formed to gain hard-court match practice post-Wimbledon, stunned spectators with a thrilling first-round comeback against Tereza Mihalíková and Olivia Nicholls, overcoming a set deficit to win 2-6, 7-6(4), 11-9. They followed with a 7-6(6), 6-4 quarterfinal victory over Giuliana Olmos and Aldila Sutjiadi, showing growing chemistry. But the semifinal against Townsend and Zhang, seasoned doubles specialists, proved too steep a challenge. Trailing 4-1 after just 25 minutes, Raducanu and Rybakina retired, prioritizing their singles campaigns. “I think you get to a point where you’re so tired that you don’t really know what you’re doing anymore,” Raducanu reflected, hinting that the grueling conditions and her earlier singles effort left her depleted.
The retirement sparked concern among fans, with some speculating that Raducanu’s visible discomfort—described as appearing unsteady during her singles match—signaled a deeper issue. “It was brutal today,” she told the crowd, thanking them for enduring the heat. Her comments about the humidity, which made her sweat instantly during warm-ups, contrasted sharply with Wimbledon’s drier heat, which she found more manageable despite its record 32°C temperatures. The decision to withdraw, while pragmatic, disappointed some who saw it as diminishing the doubles event’s prestige, especially for opponents Townsend and Zhang, who advanced to the final, with Townsend set to claim the world No. 1 doubles ranking.
Raducanu’s history of injuries adds weight to these concerns. Since her meteoric 2021 US Open run, she has faced wrist, ankle, and foot issues, including a retirement in the 2024 Korea Open due to a foot injury and multiple withdrawals last season. Yet, her DC Open performance—improving her live ranking to No. 32 and reclaiming the British No. 1 spot—signals a resurgence. “I think it is a big benchmark,” she said of her semifinal berth, crediting her focus and consistency against top opponents like Kostyuk, Osaka, and Sakkari. Her 4-0 record against Sakkari, including three hard-court wins, underscores her growing prowess.
As Raducanu prepares to face Kalinskaya, a first-time opponent who defeated No. 4 seed Clara Tauson, the focus is on her recovery. Rybakina, who also advanced to the singles semifinals against Leylah Fernandez, faces similar physical demands after her 6-3, 6-3 win over Magdalena Frech. A potential final between Raducanu and Rybakina would be a poetic twist, given their doubles partnership. With the US Open looming, where Raducanu is set to pair with Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles, her ability to manage her health will be crucial. For now, her DC Open run—marred by fitness doubts but buoyed by her tenacity—remains a compelling chapter in her comeback story.
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