(August 29, 2025) FLUSHING, NY – No. 9 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan used her power and accuracy to dismantle 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu 6-1, 6-2 in 62 minutes on Friday in Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion won 56 points to the British woman’s 35. She broke Raducanu’s serve four times and hit 3 aces.
Rybakina dominated the rallies of less than 5 shots 44 – 26.
In her news conference the world No 36 and 2021 US Open champion said the match was difficult.
“I thought Elena played very well, and I found it very difficult to get any sort of rhythm in the match,” she said.
“So when I did have a ball, it was kind of hard for me to all of a sudden, you know, like hit a quality shot, because so many of them were so deep or I didn’t touch that many either. So it was just hard to really capitalize on the few moments that I had.
“But credit to her. She played a very good match.”
“I think maybe if I held in the first game of the second set, but being 40-Love up, I mean, I missed a couple of shots that I probably wouldn’t usually miss. But at the same time, I just felt like every ball was so difficult that I was receiving. Yeah, then I was kind of shocked when I got a shorter ball.
“So it was difficult, but otherwise, I thought I tried to mix it up with my return position. I thought overall, yeah, she served well, returned well, and did a lot well.”
” I think today overall she just didn’t let me settle in in every department.
“I think early on, you know, off some really good serves of mine, the ball came back really quick, and that’s just early pressure,” said Raducanu. “One break and then all of a sudden it’s 3-Love, and the dynamic of the match just shifts, and you feel you’re under pressure straight away.
“So I thought she, yeah, did everything better today.”
“Today was good performance for me,” Rybakina said in her news conference. “Always not easy to play against Emma. Even sometimes score doesn’t show, but I know that against her I need to play very aggressive and also try to play deep.”
“I played really well, and the last two matches also was some tricky moments in the second round in the second set, but overall I think here I’m playing pretty well.
“Serve is working. Not always, of course, but this is something to still work on, because deeper you go in the tournament, tougher opponents get. I need to take at least what is in my control.
“I think for now physically also I’ve been feeling well. So yeah, pretty happy with the way the tournament going so far.”
Raducanu summed up her 2025 year in the majors this way:
“I’ve lost to Iga twice, Aryna, and Elena, so it’s tough.
“But at the same time, 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.
“I think depending on the day, depending on how we match up, I think I’m getting better overall. I think I’m improving for sure in the last few months. So I just need to keep consistent and put this one behind.”
“I think it’s going to be important to just look at the last few months as a whole, last few weeks as a whole and the improvements that I’m making, because a match like that can easily kind of get you down if you let it. So I’m going to try and not do that and regroup and just work hard and, yeah, get ready for Asia.”
“I think that first matches, they’re always tough,” said Rybakina. “Plus the opponents I played, I didn’t know much about them. Never played before.
“With Emma, we practiced also couple times. As I said, I know that she’s tough opponent. She’s been playing really well. So, of course, it’s different kind of focused.
“I knew that I need to stay on top of the rallies, because she is moving really well. If you give a chance, she will move the ball also. So yeah, I was trying to just stay aggressive, go for my shots, and play deep.
“Couple of times it was also a bit lucky for my side. I was playing really deep and on the lines, which is very difficult, of course, to play back.
“Yeah, I think, of course, it’s all about mindset. Now I think there is, as I said, only tough opponents that you need to always try to bring your best.”
Rybakina will play the winner or No. 7 Jasmine Paolini vs Marketa Vondrousova.
Yeah, both are tricky. I will say Marketa, she’s lefty, so it’s a little bit different adaptation, like, for the match.
“Jasmine, she’s also playing really well, last season, this season too. She tries to play fast, take time from the opponent. We also practice here before the tournament.
“Yeah, it’s not going to be easy no matter who it’s going to be, but I will try definitely to focus on my serve again, because this is where I can get either free point or be dominate in the rally,” said the Kazak.
“Then, of course, speak with my team as always, try to make some plans, and hopefully it will work for me.”
Rybankina will face No. 60, former Wimbledon champiomn from 2023, Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic who upset No. 7 Jasmine Paolini of Italy 7-6, 6-1 on the Grandstand Court.
More to follow…
