Emma Raducanu says who she finds harder to play against out of Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina

Emma Raducanu exited the US Open draw at the hands of an impressive performance by Elena Rybakina.

Raducanu was initially looking forward to playing Rybakina, who is the current world number 10 and a former Wimbledon champion.

However, this has not always been the best Grand Slam for Rybakina, who has now reached the fourth round of the US Open for the first time after a convincing victory over Raducanu.

Despite the disappointment of defeat, Raducanu was full of praise for two things Rybakina did in particular, and she has now revealed if the Kazakhstani is an even tougher test for her than Aryna Sabalenka.

Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images

Emma Raducanu admits she finds playing Elena Rybakina harder than Aryna Sabalenka

Raducanu has played both Rybakina and Sabalenka on North American hard courts in recent weeks, failing to beat either player.

However, these matches were completely different, with Raducanu putting up a tough test against Sabalenka in Cincinnati, as well as Wimbledon last month.

When asked about which player she finds harder to play, Raducanu admitted that she finds her matchup more challenging with Rybakina over world number one Sabalenka.

“A lot of it is on match-ups as well because on paper Aryna is number one in the world but I find it harder playing against Elena in that kind of form,” Raducanu said in her post-match press conference. “Her ball is just so clean and heavy and she hits with so much ease that it puts so much pressure on you.

More Tennis News

“Aryna hits really big, amazing shots but maybe a few more errors than Elena today. I think it depends on the day but I’m sure Aryna on a good day can also have that kind of level with no errors.

“But I think it depends on match-ups but I think against Elena she starts the point so well and her balls one to four are putting you under so much pressure that you feel like you can’t get in the rallies.”

Raducanu’s point is backed up by the statistics, that really showcase how much more competitive she is against Sabalenka than Rybakina.

While the former US Open champion has never beaten Sabalenka, Raducanu has won a set against the Belarusian and on average wins 12 games per match.

However, against Rybakina, Raducanu has only ever won four games in their two previous matches.

Emma Raducanu Vs Aryna Sabalenka Vs Elena Rybakina Matches Played 3 2 Sets Won 1 0 Games Won 36 (Average of 12 per match) 4 (Average of 2 per match)

What is next for Emma Raducanu?

Raducanu’s Grand Slam season may be over for 2025, but there are still plenty of tournaments left in the calendar.

Tim Henman believes Raducanu will analyse this loss with her team, before she begins preparations for her next tournament.

This year, Raducanu has only lost to Grand Slam champions and top 10 players at the major tournaments, and will really want to push to be seeded at the Australian Open next year.

Raducanu has spoken about this being a goal of hers, and it appears very realistic, with only 108 points coming off the 22-year-old’s ranking until the end of the season.

The next tournament for Raducanu will actually have no bearing on her ranking, as she represents Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, which begin on September 16 in Shenzhen, China.

Raducanu’s attention will then turn back to the WTA Tour, and she is currently entered into tournaments in Beijing and Tokyo.

Click here to read article