A month ago, beneath the roaring Centre Court roof and before 15,000 electrified fans, Emma Raducanu soared against Aryna Sabalenka, pushing the world No. 1 to the brink. At a set point in one of her fiercest battles, she stared down the sport’s most formidable force, yet Sabalenka, long accustomed to the target on her back, rose higher still, snatching a 7-6 (6), 6-4 victory and shattering Raducanu’s hopes of a career-defining win. Now, fresh from conquering Olga Danilovic in Cincinnati, the Brit prepares for a hard-court rematch with the Belarusian powerhouse. This time, Emma Raducanu reveals her thoughts, and her fire, before stepping into the storm again.
Right after her gritty win over Olga Danilovic at the Cincinnati Open, Emma Raducanu sat down with Prakash Amritraj on the Tennis Channel Podcast. The conversation, however, quickly shifted from her most recent triumph to a match still etched in her memory, her Wimbledon showdown against Aryna Sabalenka.
When asked how she looked back on that duel, Raducanu’s face lit up with the kind of energy that only a truly special sporting moment can ignite. “It was incredible. I think it was probably my favorite match to be a part of in terms of atmosphere. It was electric. I’ve never felt anything like it. I’ve never heard anything like it. With the roof closed, especially, everything was amplified,” she said.
She went on to recall how the home crowd became her fuel that day. “And the home support, of course, was incredible, and I had chances in that match, which was, for me, a great thing because I took a lot of confidence, I was on the right track. I think obviously grass is a different surface from here, that it can play completely differently, but, you know, to push the world number one to such great lengths. It did give me a lot of confidence and just the atmosphere,” she explained.
Tennis – 2025 Wimbledon Championships – Womens Singles – 3rd round – Emma Raducanu v Aryna Sabalenka All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club – Friday 4th July 2025 Aryna Sabalenka with Emma Raducanu at the net after the match PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK
The memory, for Raducanu, was more than just a battle on grass; it was a reminder of why she plays this sport in the first place. “I think overall it was something that I’ll never forget. And that’s the reason I play tennis, you know, to play in stadiums like that, when crowds like that, and just to be a part of those matches that are so competitive, brilliant,” she said, her words carrying both nostalgia and hunger for more.
When Amritraj asked about a potential Cincinnati rematch with Sabalenka, who at the time still had to get past Markéta Vondroušová, Raducanu didn’t shy away from the challenge. “I mean, it’s a really stacked, you know, top little section. It’s like the same draw from Wimbledon, pretty much like with Markéta as well in there. She’s a really tricky opponent. lefty. So I don’t know. It’s two very different players with Aryna and Markéta,” she admitted, acknowledging the contrasting threats both opponents bring.
She continued, assessing the task ahead with calculated realism. “So we’ll see how that goes. But I also think the conditions play so different here, but I know if I’ll play any of them, I’ll need to really be on my game. Aryna especially. She serves great, returns great, and has so much raw power from the back. So yeah, I’ll just need to do my best, but we’ll see,” Raducanu said, the hint of a smile suggesting she relishes the challenge more than she fears it.
On the other side of the draw, Sabalenka, now stepping onto the hard courts for the first time since her tough Wimbledon semifinal exit, battled past Vondroušová in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4. The defending Cincinnati champion’s victory was no smooth cruise, but it carried the grit of a champion who knows how to navigate danger.
With that win, the much-anticipated “popcorn match” between Sabalenka and Raducanu was set, sending ripples of excitement across the tennis world.
As the air thickens with anticipation, Raducanu’s own words after her second-round win make it clear, she’s ready for the firestorm that only Aryna Sabalenka can bring.
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