Emma Raducanu’s 2025 US Open campaign came to a sudden halt on Friday, as she was swept aside by Elena Rybakina in a commanding 6-1, 6-2 third-round defeat at Louis Armstrong Stadium. The match, lasting just 62 minutes, marked the end of Raducanu’s deepest run at Flushing Meadows since her sensational title win as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021.
Rybakina, the world’s 10th-ranked player and a former Wimbledon champion, wasted little time asserting her dominance. From the outset, she applied relentless pressure with her aggressive ball-striking, breaking Raducanu early and never letting up. "She came out with that aggressive ball-striking, which is her bread and butter. It’s why she is a Grand Slam champion. She really went after Raducanu’s serve, got that early break and the momentum just built and built," observed former British No 1 Tim Henman on Sky Sports. "It was a very complete and consistent performance from Rybakina. It was a bit of a statement victory for her."
For Raducanu, 22, the defeat was a tough pill to swallow after a promising start to her tournament. She had not won a match at the US Open since her 2021 triumph, suffering first-round exits in both 2022 and 2024 and missing the 2023 edition due to injury. This year, however, she broke that streak by dispatching Ena Shibahara and Janice Tjen in straight sets, dropping only six games across both matches. "Tough to enjoy today, but I think in the big scheme of things, I’m working towards playing better and being a better tennis player, more complete overall," Raducanu said after the loss. "I want to train, like, a lot, and I practice quite a lot of hours, but I think at the same time it can put a lot of wear on my body. So I think now I’m doing a good job. Pretty strong and fit overall, for the most part. I’m not getting injured. But that’s where I need to be reined in, and I need the people around me to kind of pull me back and say, ‘We’ve done enough.’"
This season marked a significant milestone for Raducanu: it was the first year since 2022 that she competed in all four Grand Slam tournaments. After undergoing surgeries on both wrists and an ankle in 2023, her ability to stay fit and play a full schedule has been seen as a major positive. Yet, the draw has not been kind. Each of her Grand Slam journeys in 2025 ended at the hands of a top-tier opponent—falling to Iga Swiatek in the Australian Open third round and French Open second round, Aryna Sabalenka in the Wimbledon third round, and now Rybakina in New York.
Raducanu, currently ranked No. 36 in the world, acknowledged the challenge of facing elite competition early in major tournaments. “That’s where I’m at with my ranking. I can play top opponents in the first, second or third round. So I’ve just got to do my best in the next few months until Australia to just keep working to try and close the gap.”
Her record against the WTA’s current big four—Swiatek, Sabalenka, Rybakina, and Coco Gauff—has been particularly tough. In 12 matches against these players, Raducanu has yet to record a victory in 2025. Still, she maintains a positive outlook. “Yeah, big time. I think when the very top play against me, they have a point to prove, that they’re at the top, and they’re there for a reason. I think every time I’ve played one, they’ve kind of shown that,” Raducanu said. “So at the same time while I’m improving, doing better, gaining maybe some more respect around, I think yeah, the top have definitely raised their game. But I’ll take that as a compliment that they’ve decided to really lock in against me.”
Raducanu’s ascent to tennis stardom has also brought commercial success. Despite earning $671,000 in prize money so far in 2025, she’s amassed a staggering $14 million in endorsements, ranking seventh among female athletes globally according to Sportico. This off-court profile has, in some eyes, added pressure and perhaps even a target on her back. Aryna Sabalenka, for instance, earned a total of $17.7 million ($9.7 million in winnings, $8 million in endorsements), while Rybakina herself has $3.9 million in winnings and $4 million in endorsements.
Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli believes Raducanu’s perseverance through the American swing, playing non-stop tennis without injury, is a positive sign for the future. “She played really good tennis and, yes, she’s lost to top-10 players, but that’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just the beginning of points against the top ball-strikers that she struggles a bit with. But who wouldn’t struggle with that? I was courtside and the ball was coming back so fast from Rybakina, and so constantly. The more you play against the top players, the more you learn, and we will then see her get off the mark a bit quicker.”
There’s also a sense that tactical adjustments could help Raducanu bridge the gap to the very best. Former Wimbledon junior champion Laura Robson commented, “Raducanu wasn’t committed tactically. At times it looked like she was trying to hit big, but then the next point she’d take half a step back. It gave Rybakina this easy rhythm to work with, and she was just able to put so much pressure on Raducanu.”
Despite the disappointment, optimism remains high in Raducanu’s camp. She began working with coach Francisco Roig—best known for his long tenure with Rafael Nadal—earlier in August, and the partnership is expected to continue at least through the end of the year. “It’s only been three weeks, but I think it’s been a pretty successful three weeks in a sense that we’ve made good improvements,” Raducanu said. “Today, my weaknesses were highlighted, but it’s only been three weeks, and he can’t really work miracles, you know? So I know we’re doing good work, and I just look forward to continuing.”
Looking ahead, Raducanu’s priority will be to improve her ranking and avoid early round clashes with the world’s best. With few points to defend in the coming months, there’s real opportunity for her to climb the ladder and gain momentum before the Australian Open. As Tim Henman put it, “Disappointing right now, but the best is yet to come.”
As the US Open rolls on without her, Raducanu’s journey this year has been one of progress and resilience. Her fans, and perhaps even her rivals, will be watching closely to see how she builds on these hard-earned lessons in the months ahead.
