Table of Contents
- Emma Raducanu dream of winning a second Grand Slam was cut short on Friday evening as she lost to Elena Rybakina in the third round of the US Open
- It was another heartbreaking defeat for the 22-year-old Briton who is getting back on his feet after struggle with injuries in recent years
Emma Raducanu dream of winning a second Grand Slam was cut short on Friday evening as she lost to Elena Rybakina in the third round of the US Open.
Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina was ruthless against Raducanu and needed a little over an hour to record a stellar 6-1 6-2 win over the British number one. Raducanu claimed just three games as she was totally outclassed at Flushing Meadows in New York.
Emma Raducanu was dumped out of the US Open by Aryna Sabalenka. Photo/ Yardbarker.
It was another heartbreaking defeat for the 22-year-old Briton who is getting back on his feet after struggle with injuries in recent years. All four of her defeats at major tournaments this year have come against the top players in the WTA rankings. She was eliminated from the Australian Open by six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek and had a similar fate against the same opponent at French Open. Despite giving world number one Aryna Sabalenka a tough challenge at Wimbledon, she lost in straight sets.
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Raducanu, who recently appointed Rafael Nadal’s ex-coach Francisco Roig, has won only three out of 18 matches against the top ten players. However, she believes that the top players usually have a point to prove when facing her and take advantage of the extra motivation to win against her.
“I think when the very top players play against me, they have a point to prove that they’re at the top, and they’re there for a reason. I think every time I’ve played one, they’ve kind of shown that. So while I’m improving, doing better, gaining maybe some more respect around, I think the top have definitely raised their game.” Emma Raducanu said told BBC Sport.
Raducanu had her breakthrough in the tennis world as a teenager and shocked fans by winning the US Open in 2021. However, she is yet to win another Grand Slam and has attracted scrutiny by the number of coaches she has hired. The Briton has been low ranked since September 2022 when her mammoth of points for winning the US Open fell off.
The 22-year-old recently hired Francisco Roig, who worked with the legendary Rafael Nadal for 17 years, helping win each of his 22 Grand Slam titles. According to sources, Roig has an unparalleled technical knowledge of the game and is the best fit to bring Raducanu back on her fit. The British number one has changed coaches at a rapid rate and it remains to be seen how long she will work with Roig. However, the plan remains for the two to work together until the end of the season.
How Elena Rybakina Outclassed Emma Raducanu
Raducanu had her best performance at the US Open this year since her 2021 triumph. Photo/ Sky News.
Raducanu has spent more time on court this year and came to the US Open with a lot of optimism. She was aiming for a win against ninth seed Rybakina but things went against her right from the start as she found herself trailing 0-40 in the opening set.
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Raducanu tried to neutralize the serving power coming her way for most of the match as Rybakina asserted dominance. The Kazakh went on to win the first set 6-1 recording a first-serve win percentage of 82. She continued to show dominance in the second set and eventually won the match after 62 minutes.
Rybakina is into the last 16 of the US Open and is aiming to win her second Grand Slam. The 26-year-old is one of the favorites to triumph in New York.
