Emma Raducanu says this is the best she has felt heading into the US Open in years as the world No. 39 insists she isn't lacking any confidence, knowing that only "top players" have been able to beat her lately.
On Monday, Raducanu concluded her run at the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati in the third round. But she definitely didn't embarrass herself of anything like that since she went toe-to-toe with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for more than three hours before the Belarusian earned a tight 7-6 (3) 4-6 7-6 (5) win.
At Wimbledon, Raducanu easily made it past her opening two matches before Sabalenka overcame her in a contested third-round match. After Wimbledon, the Briton kicked off her North American hard-court swing in Washington, where she made the semifinal, before losing to Anna Kalinskaya. In Montreal, the 22-year-old fell short to recent Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova in the third round.
“This is my first year on tour playing most of the calendar. I had a tough start to the year and it was very difficult to change that. But in the last few months I’ve been building and the level has been increasing. The players I’m playing and losing to, they’re all top players so that gives me confidence," Raducanu told The Guardian.
Raducanu: This year is different going into the US Open
Since winning a total of 10 matches to win the 2021 US Open as a qualifier, Raducanu hasn't had a single win at Flushing Meadows – she picked up first-round defeats in 2022 (d. by Alize Cornet) and 2024 (d. by Sofia Kenin), while she didn't play in 2023 because she was recovering from multiple surgeries.
"I went home and came back and it was a really difficult time in New York. Since I won the tournament, it’s not been easy for me there. But this year I feel different, I’m a lot calmer behind the court. On the court, I take more confidence in the big moments," the 22-year-old insisted.
It remains to be seen if a big US Open run is on the cards for Raducanu.
