Naomi Osaka “Feels for” Emma Raducanu Ahead of their Second-Round Clash at Washington

Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu will face each other for the first time on tour in the round of 16 of the Washington Open.

Naomi Osaka “Feels for” Emma Raducanu Ahead of their Second-Round Clash at Washington

Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka (via X/Emma Raducanu News/Citi Open)

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Naomi Osaka is set to take on Emma Raducanu at the Washington Open for the first time in her career. The duo is competing at the WTA 500, weeks after the third Grand Slam of the year ended at Wimbledon. Ahead of the match, Osaka says she pities Raducanu because of the off-court issues she has been through.

Raducanu’s career took a sharp turn when she won her first Grand Slam at the 2021 US Open despite starting as a qualifier. The triumph catapulted her to the zenith of fame in the sport, but through the course of the years attracted criticism as she failed to meet the expectations set for her after the major title win.

She was heavily criticized on social media, while she struggled with setbacks and injuries off the court. Notably, in February, a male stalker followed her to the Dubai Tennis Championships and was in the stands during her second-round match against Karolina Muchova. On sighting the man, during her match, she hid behind the umpire’s chair, while bursting into tears.

The man was removed from the stadium and banned from attending any future WTA event. The Wimbledon Championship officials reported before the start of the tournament that the stalker tried buying tickets from the website but was stopped and red-flagged. Raducanu has often revealed that it is hard to forget the incident.

Ahead of her match against Osaka, the Japanese star was asked about the issues Raducanu has gone through in her career. The former World No.1 revealed that she feels for her and hopes she has good people around who help her deal with all the pressure:

I mean, honestly, I feel like for her, it must be really tough, because I read online, like, she had a stalker…I saw in Dubai or something there was — honestly, I really feel sad for her, because that video was, like, one of the most saddest videos I’ve ever seen. I just hope she has a lot of really good people around her. I think that there must be a lot of pressure from — I don’t know how the British media is, but they don’t really seem the kindest. I think she’s navigating it really well.

Osaka secured her place in the round of 16 of the Washington Open after beating Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 7-5 in the first round. On the other hand, Raducanu advanced to the same stage of the competition after a hard-fought 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over seventh seed Marta Kostyuk in the opening round.

Emma Raducanu looks forward to a “great match” against Naomi Osaka

Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka have had a rough patch in their careers. The former has struggled to win a big title since claiming the 2021 US Open. The latter missed the entirety of the 2023 season following the birth of her first child, but holds a 37-27 win-loss record on tour since then.

Emma Raducanu (via X/The Tennis Letter)
Emma Raducanu (via X/The Tennis Letter)

Speaking ahead of their clash in Washington, Raducanu revealed that it will be a great match for spectators. She added that it will be like her third-round tie against Aryna Sabalenka at the Wimbledon Championship:

I think it’s a great match for a lot of spectators, which is great to be a part of. I felt the same way when I played Aryna [Sabalenka] at Wimbledon. That atmosphere was unbeatable for me. I think all the exposure I get to these top opponents … she’s won four Grand Slams, so an incredible achievement and incredible career so far. And she’s been playing really good tennis this year.

Raducanu versus Sabalenka’s tie was one of the most famous at the Wimbledon Championship. According to reports, the TV audience of five million people watched the match as the latter defeated the former. Washington Open organizers will hope for the same when Osaka takes on Raducanu for a place in the quarter-finals.

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