Elena Rybakina notes ‘happy’ Emma Raducanu’s growth ahead of their US Open clash
The last time Elena Rybakina faced Emma Raducanu in a match on the WTA Tour, she steamrolled the Briton, but the Kazakh star is expecting a much tougher match when they meet at the 2025 US Open.
The two Grand Slam winners both secured fairly straightforward wins in the second round at Flushing Meadows although Rybakina had more of a test than Raducanu as she won 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) against 18-year-old qualifier Tereza Valentová while the Brit beat Indonesian major debutant Janice Tjen, who also came through qualifying, 6-2, 6-1.
Now they will square up for a place in the fourth round in New York in what will be their second career meeting following their previous encounter at the 2022 Sydney Classic with Rybakina winning 6-0, 6-1 in just 55 minutes.
That match came just four months after Raducanu won the 2021 US Open and she struggled to replicate that title-winning form for several years, but she appears to have turned a corner and Rybakina is wary.
“We played once a long time ago and I think now she’s playing really well and she’s a tough opponent. Definitely, she knows this place better than anyone else. And I’m looking forward for this match,” the 2022 Wimbledon champion said.
“I know that I need to improve a little bit from today and try to do my best and hopefully I’ll win that match.”
They also know each other a lot better these days and they recently teamed up in the women’s doubles at the Citi DC Open, reaching the semi-final.
So how did their doubles set-up come about?
“We both don’t play so much doubles, but sometimes on these tournaments, especially beginning of the swing, like it’s, it’s nice to play. She just asked me if I want to play and this is how basically we, we started to play,” Rybakina said.
“And before that we also tried, I think once in Cincinnati, but it didn’t happen. So I was pretty happy to play with her and it was a lot of fun.”
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The Cincinnati Open appearance Rybakina was referring to was three years ago – just a month after she became the first Kazakh player to win a Grand Slam title when she lifted the Wimbledon trophy.
Rybakina added: “I think that time in the end she said, I think that she was feeling like some kind of not injury, but maybe not 100%, so decided not, not to push and for me, as I said on most of these tournaments, I try to focus on singles and doubles is something like a practice just to have some fun. So for me it was okay.
“And this time I think we played pretty well. First match was a bit uncomfortable since we never played before, but after that I think we played really well.”
Asked if they text and talk to each she replied: “Rarely. But yeah, I think she’s a nice girl. And of course, we are all busy with our schedule and our teams, so of course we don’t spend much time together. But she’s really nice girl outside of the court.”
Both faced a lot of scrutiny on and off the court after they became Grand Slam winners, but Rybakina enjoyed a lot of success after winning Wimbledon, as she also reached the 2023 Australian Open final, won another six tournaments and went on to peak at No 3 in the WTA Rankings.
Raducanu, though, has struggled as she is yet to reach another final following her success at Flushing Meadows four years ago.
“I think now is better for her definitely, than maybe it was a year or two ago. Of course, it’s not easy, there is a lot of expectation from outside, from herself probably. But I’m sure that with time passing, you learn,” the 26-year-old said.
“I think that she enjoys now and you can see she’s happy, she’s playing well. So I think now she’s like more free. And I would say a lot of people expect, of course, but the most important is that you know what you’re doing, you know how you practice. And I think it all depends on your, on your state of mind.”
