Emma Raducanu handed glorious chance to reach WTA Rankings goal at US Open
Emma Raducanu has been handed a glorious chance to complete the rankings leap she has targeted after a favourable draw at the US Open.
The 2021 US Open champion is back at Flushing Meadows dreaming of a repeat of her iconic triumph from four years ago, as she became the first player to come through qualifying to win a Grand Slam title.
Her story since then has been a little less glorious, but the 22-year-old has shown some positive signs of progress in recent months and she is heading into the final Grand Slam of the year in an upbeat mood.
Raducanu pushed world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka close in a compelling match at Wimbledon and she went even closer to beating the best player in women’s tennis as she lost a third set tie-break earlier this month.
Now the British star is looking to get herself back into the mix at the top of the women’s game and she has been handed a favourable draw at the US Open.
More Tennis News
Mark Petchey reveals why he stopped working with Emma Raducanu after successful partnership
Emma Raducanu gets lavish rankings prediction from former world No 1
Raducanu just missed out on a seeding for the final Grand Slam of 2025, but she has a chance to make a leap in the WTA Rankings as she was beaten in the first round at the US Open last year.
She could have been drawn against some of the biggest names in women’s tennis in the opening round, but Raducanu has been fortunate to be drawn against a qualifier in her opening match.
If she gets through that match, Raducanu could face No 24 seed Veronika Kudermetova in round two and that match-up could be good for the former US Open champion after she beat the Russian in convincing fashion on her least favourite clay surface in Rome earlier this year.
The draw will then get challenging for Raducanu, as she could face big-hitting Elena Rybakina in round three, with the former Wimbledon champion confirming she is back to her best after a convincing win against Sabalenka in Cincinnati last week.
A run to the third round in New York should take Raducanu back into the top 30 of the WTA Rankings, which would put her in a position to be seeded for first Grand Slam event of 2026 at the Australian Open.
Raducanu has suggested her target for the rest of this year is to be seeded in Melbourne in January, but former world No 1 Mats Wilander suggests she should be aiming for more.
“I think what’s cool is that we’re seeing a better version than the one that she was when she was 18, even though she won the US Open,” said Wilander, as he prepares to join the Eurosport broadcasting team at the US Open.
“By a better version, I mean she’s still playing the same kind of tennis. She’s trying to be aggressive.
“She’s very complete in all aspects of her game and her serve has become better. Obviously, she’s stronger physically at 22 than she was at 18.
“Mentally, I’m not sure. I think mentally is the big question. Is she confident enough that she can overpower some of these players, because obviously (Aryna) Sabalenka and Iga (Swiatek) are bringing a different level than the players that she beat at the US Open four years ago.
“I don’t think we can look at Emma Raducano and say that she has another Grand Slam victory in her yet. She has to prove a few more things before we talk about her like that.
“But we are looking at an Emma Raducanu that can break into the top 10 here in a year or two, in my eyes, and I’m pretty convinced that she will break into the best players in the world.
“If we ask can she win another major? That’s another completely different question for another day.”
Raducanu gets her campaign at the US Open underway on Sunday, when she will be the first US Open singles match to be played on Louis Armstrong Stadium in 2025.
READ NEXT: US Open 2025 women’s draw: Who will Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Emma Raducanu play?
