Emma Raducanu is set for another run at the US Open, the tournament where she created history.
In 2021, the 22-year-old, who was just 18 at the time, entered what was just her second Grand Slam, and she did the unthinkable.
Emma Raducanu successfully qualified for the main draw at Flushing Meadows, before proceeding to shock the world and win the title without dropping a set.
Four years later, the former top 10 player is back in New York and is ready to try and create some more magic at the final Grand Slam of the year.
Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty ImagesMarion Bartoli and Martina Navratilova think Emma Raducanu needs a good draw at the US Open
Following some encouraging results over the summer, Raducanu has climbed back into the WTA’s top 40.
She is currently ranked number 35, meaning she just missed out on being seeded at the US Open for the first time since 2022.
Therefore, there is a chance she could face some of the big names very early in the tournament. For example, Raducanu faced Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon in the third round.
Ahead of the US Open commencing on Sunday, Sky Sports pundits Martina Navratilova and Marion Bartoli think Raducanu’s draw will depend on how far she goes in the tournament.
“Emma has a chance of going deep if she gets a good draw,” Navratilova said, before Bartoli added: “It depends on the draw but she has a decent chance to get through to the second week.”
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty ImagesAnnabel Croft explains what Emma Raducanu must do to have a strong US Open
Raducanu has shown she has what it takes to compete with the very best on the WTA Tour.
She has played Sabalenka twice since July, and has pushed her to the limit on both occasions. Especially at the Cincinnati Open, where Raducanu lost to Sabalenka in a final set tiebreak.
Though she just fell short of victory, Raducanu proved she was able to maintain a high level of tennis for a sustained period of time, which Annabel Croft urged her to do at the US Open.
“She’s always got a good chance because she’s such a good player. It’s about her doing well and maintaining a high level for a sustained level of time,” Croft said.
“It will depend on the draw but there’s no question she’ll be in the mix. She’s done it before at the US Open before and she’s back in what is probably her favourite tournament I would think, so that counts for a lot.”