Emma Raducanu began her debut campaign at the China Open with a convincing win, and she left the crowd in amazement with what she did after the match.

The world No 32 defeated 67th-ranked Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament on Saturday, having received a first round bye as the 30th seed.

Raducanu broke Bucsa four times and lost serve just once as she improved her head-to-head record against the 27-year-old Spaniard to 2-1. She beat Bucsa at the Queen’s Club Championships in June having lost the pair’s first encounter in Singapore in January.

After her victory over Bucsa, Raducanu started her on-court interview in English.

“Yeah, it was super difficult, Cristina was playing amazing today,” said the 2021 US Open champion.

“It’s my first time [playing] here in China, so I’m very happy to have gotten over it, and after a tough one last week, to come back and bounce back.

“I’m going to do my best, I really want to do well here. I’m half Chinese, so it’s great to come back here.”

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Raducanu was born in Toronto, Canada to a Chinese mother, Renee Zhai, and a Romanian father, Ion Raducanu. Renee was in attendance for her daughter’s debut in Beijing.

She grew up in England, with the family having moved to Bromley when she was two years old, but she also speaks Mandarin and Romanian.

The 22-year-old’s mention of being half Chinese drew cheers from the fans in Beijing, and she delighted the crowd further by addressing them in Mandarin.

Emma Raducanu is showing off her excellent mandarin, she’s truly a cool girl! ❤️‍⛩️ pic.twitter.com/BKtGiJyTOV

— el (@hideandrise) September 27, 2025

Fans loudly expressed their surprise and approval during Raducanu’s speech, and she has surely only enhanced her popularity in Beijing.

Raducanu could benefit from the support of the local fans again in her next match as she faces a tough test in the form of world No 7 Jessica Pegula.

The Brit holds a 1-2 record against the 31-year-old American star, who she defeated in Eastbourne last year. Pegula won the pair’s most recent clash in three sets in the Miami Open quarter-finals in March.

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