Emma Raducanu has returned to winning ways after beating Maria Sakkari at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai.
Raducanu was on a four match losing streak prior to the tournament in Dubai after suffering her most recent loss to Ekaterina Alexandrova.
This losing streak that is now over dated back to Raducanu’s heavy defeat to Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open.
The Brit is currently joined by fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura and temporary coach Jane O’Donoghue, after Raducanu parted ways with Nick Cavaday last month.
Multiple top coaches have offered to mentor Raducanu since that vacancy became available, but it is currently unclear as to who her next permanent coach will be.
Emma Raducanu says she wishes she could have played Ash Barty
During her time in Dubai, Raducanu spoke to the tournament ball kids that were given a chance to ask her a few questions.
One of those questions asked was about which player in history Raducanu would have loved to play.
While many would have answered with someone from a previous era of tennis, Raducanu responded with the name of Ash Barty, the three-time Grand Slam champion who retired only three years ago when she was just 25-years-old.
“I would love to have played against Ash Barty to be honest,” said Raducanu. “The way she played was so fluid, so smooth and yeah opened the court so well. I was always really impressed with how she played and I’d be curious to have faced her.”
Despite only being 28-years-old, Barty has ruled out a return and is currently pregnant with her second child.
When did Emma Raducanu nearly play Ash Barty?
Although it now seems unlikely that a match between Raducanu and Barty will happen, there was a tournament where this nearly became reality.
That tournament was the US Open that Raducanu won as a qualifier in 2021, and many thought that she would play top seed Ash Barty in the fourth round.
Raducanu had done her job by beating Sara Sorribes Tormo for the loss of just one game, with Barty yet to play American Shelby Rogers.
In her third round US Open press conference, Raducanu spoke about the prospect of playing the world number one, but was also very aware of the threat that Rogers possessed.
“Yeah, I think Ash being number one in the world, you have to have many strengths,” said Raducanu. “You know, she brings something — she doesn’t play your typical like fast, flat. She has the ability to mix things up with a slice backhand, with a great forehand and serve.
“Yeah, I don’t really want to make any assumptions as to who is going to win, but again, as I said, I’m ready to play whoever.”
Raducanu was right not to rule out Rogers, who caused an upset to beat Barty in a third set tie-break, despite the Australian leading 5-2.
| US Open 2021 | Emma Raducanu Result |
| First Qualifying Round | Beat Bibiane Schoofs, 6-1 6-2 |
| Second Qualifying Round | Beat Mariam Bolkvadze, 6-3 7-5 |
| Third Qualifying Round | Beat Mayar Sherif, 6-1 6-4 |
| (Main Draw) First Round | Beat Stefanie Voegele (LL), 6-2 6-3 |
| Second Round | Beat Shuai Zhang, 6-2 6-4 |
| Third Round | Beat Sara Sorribes Tormo, 6-0 6-1 |
| Fourth Round | Beat Shelby Rogers, 6-2 6-1 |
| Quarter-final | Beat Belinda Bencic (11), 6-3 6-4 |
| Semi-final | Beat Maria Sakkari (17), 6-1 6-4 |
| Final | Beat Leylah Fernandez, 6-4 6-3 |
As she did with the rest of her US Open draw that year, Raducanu would beat Rogers in straight sets to continue her dream run before going onto make history as the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam.
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