The duel, which lasted three hours and 12 minutes, proved yet another swashbuckling contest between the two, following on from their third-round Wimbledon clash in July – a straight-set victory for Sabalenka which belied the competitiveness of their Centre Court showcase.
It marks somewhat of a frustration for Raducanu, who has looked as though she could spring a real upset in both recent meetings before falling just short, so just what is holding her back?
Well, a quite remarkable stat emerged after their clash in Ohio, which may just explain it.
Sabalenka – the tie-break queen
Sabalenka won two tie-breaks en route to downing Raducanu, continuing a consistent theme throughout her 2025 campaign.
By WTA‘s calculations, the three-time Grand Slam champion took her tally of victorious tie-breaks to 18 for the calendar year – setting a new record for a women’s player in the Open Era. Making that statistic even more impressive is the fact she has only played a total of 19 tie-breaks this year – and won 16 in succession.
Top five shots from Sabalenka’s run to Wimbledon semi-finals
Video credit: TNT Sports
Is there, perhaps, room to find concern in that statistic? After all, Sabalenka’s big-hitting game is designed to blow her opponents away.
Combined, between her Australian Open triumphs in 2023 and 2024, and her US Open title run last year, Sabalenka needed just three tie-breaks in her dominant romps to lifting the three trophies.
Things have not been quite so straightforward for the 27-year-old this year.
Wimbledon will have perhaps frustrated Sabalenka the most, having not even made the final, instead crashing out to Amanda Anisimova – the American who suffered a double-bagel final defeat to Iga Swiatek – in the semis.
However, Sabalenka’s imperious tie-break record does show an immense mettle about her game.
Despite a staggering 72 unforced errors against Raducanu, the Belarusian kept her nerve when it mattered most – despite clearly feeling the effects of the demanding humidity in Cincinnati – to sail through to the next round.
The match featured just about everything, including a 32-point game in which Raducanu eventually staved off four break points to hold for 4-4 in the deciding set.
Sabalenka confessed to having to play a high-risk game in order to get the better of the Brit.
“I think it was all about the momentum, all about the risk in this game, because at the end I went for crazy shots,” Sabalenka said. “I think it was a little bit of a risky game from me and it really helped to put a lot of pressure on her.”
Sabalenka will aim to get a first major title of the season under her belt at the US Open, which commences on Sunday, August 24.
Should she fail to defend her title, it will mark the first time a women’s world No. 1 has completed a season without winning a Grand Slam since the Covid-disrupted 2020 campaign. Watch and stream top tennis action live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+