Former British Player Believes Emma Raducanu Will Be a Threat Ahead of the US Open

Emma Raducanu is into the second round of the Canadian Open after beating Elena-Gabriela Ruse in straight sets.

Former British Player Believes Emma Raducanu Will Be a Threat Ahead of the US Open

Emma Raducanu (via X/The Tennis Letter)

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Emma Raducanu has been impressive on the court since the start of the North American hard-court swing. The former World No.10 reached the semi-finals of the Washington Open before arriving at Montreal for the Canadian Open. Former WTA player Anne Keothavong believes Raducanu’s form makes her a threat at the US Open.

Raducanu displayed a solid performance during the grass-court season, reaching the quarter-finals of the Queen’s Club Championships before a third-round run at the Wimbledon Championship before losing to Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets. She then enjoyed another excellent week at the Citi Open.

She upset Marta Kostyuk in the first round in Washington, then defeated four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in straight sets. The 22-year-old went on to beat Maria Sakkari in the quarter-finals before losing to eventual runners-up Anna Kalinskaya 4-6, 3-6 in the semi-finals of the WTA 500 tournament.

The run now sees Raducanu climb up to World No.33 from No.46. The British star can now push for a seeded place at the US Open, which she won in 2021 following her magical run as a qualifier. During an interview with Sky Sports, Keothavong, who captains the Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup team, revealed that Raducanu is moving in the right direction ahead of the US Open:

It’s all positives and signs that she’s moving in the right direction. She loves this part of the year! Hard courts are where she’s most comfortable…There are lots of positives despite the loss in the semi-finals. I thought she still played pretty well. She also made the semi-finals in the doubles so she’s getting matches under her belt and this will all just be good preparation in the lead-up to the US Open.

Raducanu’s rise to the top 40 of the WTA rankings started in 2024. She began the year outside the Top 300 and had just returned from a long-term injury. But, despite not having some of the best runs in many tournaments, she kept growing in form. This season, she has already earned 22 wins from 37 matches.

She has been to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open, Queen’s Club Championships, and Washington Open. On Monday (July 28), she earned her first Canadian Open win at Montreal continuing with her impressive North American hard-court form.

Emma Raducanu reaches the second round of the Canadian Open

Emma Raducanu opened her Canadian Open campaign with an impressive display over Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the first round. The British star was facing the Romanian for the second time in her career and did well to kick off with a good first set display, breaking Ruse twice after saving five break points in the third game.

Emma Raducanu (via X/Citi Open)
Emma Raducanu (via X/Citi Open)

The World No.58 came out stronger in the second set as she played with power and precision. But Raducanu always found an answer to Ruse’s tactics and kept her lead throughout the match. After a long exchange of breaks, Raducanu found the crucial break to end the match 6-2, 6-4 as she sealed her place in the second round.

Raducanu will now go on to face Peyton Stearns in the next match. The World No.37 will seek to prove herself on the court at the tournament after losing to Venus Williams in the first round of the DC Open. However, if Raducanu beats the American star, she’s projected to face Amanda Anisimova in the third round.

Raducanu, who’s currently ranked 33rd in the WTA rankings has a lot of ranking points to grab at the Canadian Open. She didn’t feature at the event last year after failing to get a wild card from the organizers. If she does reach the fourth round of the WTA 1000 tournament, she’s sure to enter the Top 30 in the women’s circuit.

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