Emma Raducanu: How the British No.1’s 2025 season unfolded – and what the future holds
Of Raducanu’s 22 losses, only seven have come against lower-ranked opponents, with three losses in the past month alone.
But so far, defeating the best, who often have more power, has proven beyond her capabilities.
In 2025, she lost 10 of 11 matches against top-10 players, with the lone exception being a victory over Emma Navarro in Miami in March.
Her rivalry with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Wimbledon Center Court was fierce and took her to a third-set tiebreak in Cincinnati, but there was little room for encouragement elsewhere.
After losing 6-1 6-2 to ninth seed Elena Rybakina at the US Open, Raducanu reflected on what she needs to improve on to change things.
“My serve – it’s better, but I think it can get better [still],” she told BBC Sport.
“The same goes for the ball after the serve, so I’m ready to return the serve quickly. I think that’s where I still have some big work to do.
“I think when you’re playing at that level, starting point is very important.”
Raducanu has made an unfortunate habit of failing to convert match points in Asia.
Last year’s Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova saved three goals against her in Seoul, and a week later world number five Jessica Pegula did the same in Beijing.
More concerning, however, was Raducanu’s performance in the deciding sets of these matches. Against Pegula, Raducanu gave it his all and was soon in trouble.
It’s not something you could accuse her of over the summer, maybe it’s a sign of the physical and mental exhaustion she’s endured from being on the road for nine months.
