Emma Raducanu walked away from her Cincinnati Open third-round loss with her head held high, believing the match proved just how far her game has come. Facing top seed and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Monday afternoon, Raducanu pushed the three-time Grand Slam champion to the brink in a grueling three-hour, nine-minute battle that ended 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(5).
For the 22-year-old, the performance showed marked improvement from their last meeting at Wimbledon.
What Changed in Emma Raducanu’s Game Since Her Last Meeting With Aryna Sabalenka?
The clash marked Raducanu’s second career appearance at the Cincinnati Open and her first as the No. 30 seed. After a first-round bye, she began her campaign with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Olga Danilović, setting up a rematch with Sabalenka, who had beaten her in straight sets on the grass courts of Wimbledon just last month.
Sabalenka’s victory was built on clutch tiebreak play, with the top-ranked player taking both the opening and deciding sets in breakers. The match featured a third-set game that lasted over 20 minutes and saw 13 deuces before Raducanu held serve. Sabalenka’s 72 unforced errors reflected the pressure Raducanu applied, but the World No. 1 still managed to deliver in crucial moments.
Sealed with an ace! 💥
Aryna Sabalenka defeats Emma Raducanu 7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(5) in three hours and nine minutes 💪 pic.twitter.com/N5rKmey1DQ
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) August 11, 2025
Speaking in her post-match press conference, Raducanu praised her opponent while also recognizing her own growth. “She’s world No. 1 for a reason and I pushed her more than I did at Wimbledon, so that’s an improvement,” she said, adding that the result felt even more encouraging because it came on hard courts.
🗣️ “She’s world number one for a reason”
Emma Raducanu reflects on her defeat to Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in Cincinnati 🎾 pic.twitter.com/fhlZNhPUkR
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 11, 2025
“I was always thinking that grass suits me a lot more and I still believe that, so to have pushed her on a hard court like that, I’m pretty proud of it.”
While acknowledging stretches where her level dipped, Raducanu remained upbeat. “With work and going on the practice court, I can do it for longer and hold the level high for longer,” she said. “But that being said, we had a three-hour match and I felt pretty good out there for the most part against Aryna, who’s achieved everything she has, so it’s mostly positives.”
Sabalenka advanced to the Round of 16, where she will take on Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in a rematch of their Australian Open second-round clash from earlier this year. The winner of this match will face either ninth seed Elena Rybakina or sixth seed Madison Keys in the quarterfinals.
