Raducanu Reflects After US Open Loss to Rybakina
Emma Raducanu’s US Open run has come to an end, and the way it happened is a reminder of how fine the margins are when facing the very best in the game. In the third round, the 2021 champion was taken apart in just over an hour by Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon winner, who powered her way through 6-1, 6-2. For Raducanu, it was another painful defeat on the big stage, but also part of a clear pattern this season—her Grand Slam exits have all come at the hands of the world’s top players.
What’s interesting is that Raducanu herself believes those top players raise their level specifically against her. In her words, when they step on court with her, they have “a point to prove” and want to show why they belong at the very top. She takes it as a backhanded compliment, but it also means her task becomes even harder. Facing Iga Swiatek twice, Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon, and now Rybakina in New York has left her with little room to breathe this year.
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The loss highlighted some of the challenges she still faces. Against Rybakina, she rarely felt like she was in a rally. The Kazakh star’s serve and blistering groundstrokes kept Raducanu on the back foot from the start, exposing areas of her game that still need strengthening—particularly her ability to cope with pace and to start points on the front foot. Her serve has improved this season, but under pressure it faltered, and she was punished.
Still, this isn’t a story of doom and gloom. Raducanu has made visible progress in recent months, working under Rafael Nadal’s former coach, Francisco Roig. Their partnership is still very new—only a few weeks old—but she’s already spoken about the positive changes in her game. Roig is known for his sharp tactical eye and demanding style, and Raducanu seems to thrive under that kind of structure. While no one expects miracles overnight, the signs suggest it could be a stable and fruitful collaboration.
She also leaves New York with reasons to be encouraged. This was the first time since her famous 2021 triumph that she actually managed to win matches at the US Open. Her ranking has crept back up, hovering just outside the top 30, and she’s edging closer to being seeded again at major events. That alone would help her avoid these brutal early-round matchups against the game’s elite.
For now, she’s realistic. She admits there’s a gap between her and the very best, but she’s determined to close it in the coming months before the Australian Open. If consistency can be found and if her work with Roig continues to build, Raducanu could be better equipped to handle players like Rybakina the next time they meet. For now, this defeat will sting, but in the bigger picture, it feels like part of a longer journey back toward the top.
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