How much money and ranking points did Emma Raducanu collect at the US Open?
The dust has settled on Emma Raducanu’s US Open campaign and while the final chapter was less than positive for the 2021 champion, she should find some silver linings in his progress in recent weeks.
Some encouraging performances on grass courts were backed up by battling displays on North American hard courts, with her two matches against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati a highlight of her run in this phase of the season.
Elena Rybakina highlighted Raducanu’s weak spots as she recorded a crushing 6-1, 6-2 win in a brutally one-sided third round match, but the British No 1 should feel positive about her progress as she looks ahead to the Asian swing on the WTA Tour.
That’s the verdict of former British No 1 Laura Robson, who told Sky Sports that Raducanu is moving in the right direction under her recently appointed coach rancisco Roig.
“Raducanu was up against a very in-form Elena Rybakina. You can come away from that match feeling upbeat about what Emma can improve on to challenge the cleanest hitters,” said Robson.
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“And Rybakina was seeing the ball like a basketball, hitting everything in the sweet spot. For sure, a tough opponent to come up against but exciting to know that she’s got the next few months to get better, to keep working. And that’s what she’s doing on the practice court.
“Being able to stay healthy and therefore play every week makes a huge difference. To yourself the best chance of being seeded at Grand Slams, to know you won’t play another seed till the third round.
“I think it’s only positives to take from the last few weeks for Raducanu. And looking ahead to a time of the season where a lot of other players are tired and there’s a lot of points still on the line.
“If you’re mentally fresh and feeling like you can take it on, then it’s a great opportunity.”
Raducanu’s 2021 US Open win proved to be a highly lucrative success, with the $2.5m of prize money dwarfed by the succession of lavishly paid sponsorship deals she attracted following her fairy tale victory in New York.
With that in mind, the prize money she collected at this year’s US Open will not make a big difference to her future, but she was given some compensation for her battering against Rybakina by taking home $237,000 from her run in the singles.
That total was boosted by a further $10,000 after her brief appearance alongside Carlos Alcaraz in the revamped mixed doubles tournament.
Raducanu also picked up 130 ranking points, which saw her move up to No 34 in the live WTA Rankings.
Now Raducanu is already looking ahead to the Asian swing of the WTA Tour, with the scars from her defeat against Rybakina needing some time to heal.
“I’m looking forward to just building day by day,” said Raducanu.
“You take a few steps forward, one step back, but overall I’m working and building towards good things.
“I’m enjoying my tennis for the most part. Tough to enjoy today, but in the big scheme of things, I’m working towards playing better and being a better tennis player.”
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