Emma Raducanu has rediscovered her winning touch in New York, breaking a three-year drought at the US Open with a resounding first-round victory that marks a significant milestone in her still-young career. On a breezy Sunday morning at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Raducanu dispatched Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara 6-1, 6-2 in just 62 minutes, earning her first win at Flushing Meadows since her fairytale 2021 title run.
For Raducanu, now 22, this win was more than just another notch in the W column. It was a cathartic moment, a chance to put years of frustration, injury setbacks, and early exits behind her. "Of course, I’m very, very pleased," Raducanu said after the match, a broad smile lighting up her face. "It’s been four years, and it’s a very special tournament for me. I did feel different coming into it this year. I felt like I was doing the right things day to day, but still, it’s in the back of your head, so I’m just very pleased to have overcome that."
Raducanu’s journey since lifting the trophy as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021 has been anything but straightforward. After making history as the first qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam, she struggled to recapture that magic on the New York courts. In 2022, she became only the third reigning women’s champion in the professional era to lose in the first round, falling to Alizé Cornet. The following year, surgeries on both wrists and an ankle kept her out of the tournament entirely. Last year, she suffered another first-round defeat, this time to Sofia Kenin.
But 2025 has brought a new sense of purpose and momentum for the British star. Raducanu’s ranking has steadily climbed from outside the top 70 to No. 36 as of this week, and she credits much of her recent progress to her new coach, Francisco Roig. Roig, who spent nearly two decades working with Rafael Nadal, has brought a fresh perspective and a steady stream of encouragement. "I put a lot of trust in what I’m doing with Francisco on the practice court," Raducanu explained. "We’re just working really well, doing the right stuff on the practice court, and I just feel like I’m improving. To take confidence from what I’m doing behind the scenes and not just have confidence because I’ve won these matches on the tour—that’s probably the biggest success and reason why I feel the way I do right now."
The match itself was a showcase of Raducanu’s renewed confidence and aggressive play. She raced out to a 5-0 lead in the first set, needing just 26 minutes to wrap it up, and maintained her dominance throughout. Shibahara, ranked 128th and coming off three straight-set wins in qualifying, never found her footing against Raducanu’s relentless groundstrokes. The Brit faced only one break point—and saved it—while committing just six unforced errors to Shibahara’s 36.
"I started off really well, and that helped relax me a lot," Raducanu said. "Especially serving first game, that was a confident start, and then I felt like I could keep going." Her coach’s encouragement was evident throughout, with Roig frequently calling out, "Vamos! You’re doing very good." The atmosphere in Louis Armstrong Stadium was intimate and supportive, something Raducanu clearly relished. "I really liked playing on Armstrong today. The crowd was great," she said. "I think New York is always different. It’s a bit challenging in terms of there is always so much going on, whether you’re in the city, at the hotel, or on the way to the courts. There is traffic, it takes an hour, but it’s something that we all kind of go through. I personally love the buzz. I love how intimate the crowd gets."
First-round matches at Grand Slams are notorious for nerves, and Raducanu admitted she was feeling the pressure before stepping onto the court. "I was nervous this morning after practice," she confessed. "There’s not much time, playing first on. You’re kind of rushing to do things. I was nervous in practice. Afterwards, after I came out of the shower, I felt like I kind of just got into the zone, got my match kit on, and that, for me, is a shift of, ‘OK, you’re going to get ready. Lock in now.’ Then I relaxed. Going onto Armstrong, I think getting that first game was really important."
Raducanu’s victory is not just a personal triumph. It’s a testament to her perseverance and her ability to adapt to adversity. Since her life-altering win in 2021, she’s faced the weight of expectation, physical setbacks, and the mental challenge of returning to the site of her greatest achievement. "I really struggled when I came back in 2022. I didn’t enjoy coming back here," Raducanu admitted. "Now is the first time that I feel like I can come back to the U.S. Open and really enjoy the memories that I made here. I can be proud of that and see it as a happy place."
Looking ahead, Raducanu’s path doesn’t get any easier, but she seems ready for the challenge. She’s set to face Janice Tjen of Indonesia in the second round on Wednesday. Tjen, 23, pulled off a surprise upset of 24th-seeded Veronika Kudermetova, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in her first-ever US Open main draw match. With the draw opening up and Raducanu’s confidence on the rise, the prospect of a deep run seems more plausible than it has in years.
Off the court, Raducanu is embracing all that New York has to offer during her downtime. She shared that she plans to visit the recently reopened Frick Collection, following a recommendation from a close family friend. "My nana—it’s not my actual grandma, but I’m like her adopted granddaughter, I’d like to think—she’s from New York, and she told me to go to the Frick Collection," Raducanu said. "I’ve been into my art a lot more recently, and it’s reopened after I think four or five years of being under construction. That will be really exciting."
With her smile back and her game clicking, Raducanu is once again a player to watch in New York. She summed up her outlook succinctly: "I just want to stay in my zone and keep going with what I’m doing." For now, the city that once crowned her a champion has welcomed her back—and she’s savoring every moment. As the tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on Raducanu to see just how far her renaissance can take her this year at the US Open.
