Emma Raducanu handed US Open humbling as she suffers fastest Grand Slam defeat
If Emma Raducanu had been looking to make a statement at the US Open that she can compete with the world's best on a regular basis, then former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina may well have forced her into a rethink
Emma Raducanu was dumped out of the US Open in just 62 minutes by former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina on Friday - her fastest Grand Slam defeat.
British No.1 Raducanu had entered her clash with the No.9 seed hopeful of showing she is closing the gap on the big stars, but instead was left humbled. Raducanu had breezed through to the third round, winning her first two matches for the loss of only six games, but here she was on the receiving end as Rybakina powered to a 6-1 6-2 victory - despite Raducanu's choice of warming up for matches in New York by playing football.
Raducanu is friendly with Rybakina – the pair played doubles together in Washington recently – and the 26-year-old’s strengths would certainly have come as no surprise. Their only previous meeting in Sydney in 2022 was the joint most one-sided defeat of Raducanu’s career, the then teenager winning just a single game.
Raducanu appointed Rafa Nadal’s former coach Francis Roig last month and she took a set off world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Masters. But after twice breaking her record for her fastest Grand Slam wins against qualifiers in the opening two rounds, the world No.36 was simply outclassed - and shown she still has a long way to go to compete with the top players on this stage.
She dropped her opening service against the onslaught of heavy hitting from Rybakina and Raducanu never recovered. Neither the presence of British Vogue editor-in-chief - and tennis super fan - Anna Wintour in the crowd, or the constant urgings of Roig from the player box could inspire the 22-year-old.
Rybakina only made 46 percent of first serves and hit two aces but sent down one delivery of 118mph and did not face a break point. She hit 23 winners. Raducanu was broken twice in each set and hit only eight winners against 17 unforced errors.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion broke Raducanu twice in the opening set and took her second set point with a service winner after only 27 minutes.
“Change something,” appealed the Spaniard. It was to no avail.
The Bromley-based star ended a run of losing five consecutive games - she dropped her serve form 40-0 in the first game of the second set - when she won the third game of the second set after finding three first serves.
In her four Grand Slams this year, she has lost to Iga Swiatek (6-1 6-0 and 6-1 6-2), Sabalenka (7-6 6-4) and now this 6-1 6-2 defeat.