Emma Raducanu was narrowly defeated by former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in their opening match in Flushing Meadows.
It simply wasn’t to be for the 2021 US Open champion whose losing streak in New York extends to three years.
After winning 10 on the bounce without dropping a set, Emma Raducanu can’t seem to buy a win, nor a straightforward first round opponent.
Raducanu lost to Alize Cornet in straight sets in 2022, becoming the third woman in US Open history to lose her opening match in the year after winning the title.
Three surgeries to her wrist and ankle have hampered the Brit’s chances over the last few years with injury keeping her out of last year’s event.
Kenin, who had suffered an eight-match losing streak earlier this year, broke in the fifth game of the decider and would later comfortably serve it out. She now prepares for an all-American affair in round two against Jessica Pegula.
Emma Raducanu looks to bounce back after her US Open disappointment
Perhaps enough isn’t said about Raducanu’s dogged attitude. After the early surprise glory, injuries, coaching upheaval, and public pressure have all looked to disrupt her rhythm.
Despite the unwanted streak in New York, Raducanu has stayed positive, despite initially sobbing through the early part of her press conference.
After expressing her regret that she should have played more matches in the lead up to the US Open, she said: “I’m just going to go back to the drawing board and train and analyse where I went wrong and try and improve for the rest of the season.
“Obviously the Slams are over for this year,” she continued. “But it’s not actually that long until Australia comes around again.”
Tim Henman and Laura Robson previously backed Raducanu’s call not to play the warm-up tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati, however now by her own admission, the 21-year-old seems to rue the missed opportunity.
What next for Sofia Kenin – can she upset Jessica Pegula?
Pegula is coming into their second-round clash in red-hot form, having successfully defended her Canadian Open title before a run to the finals in Cincinnati.
After having to play her retiring compatriot Shelby Rogers in the opening round, Pegula was forced to endure a bitter-sweet opening match. A straight sets victory sees her move to 10 wins out of her last 11.
Kenin and Pegula have not played each other since 2021, with the former having suffered a rankings drop after injuries kept her out of action.
All four of their matches have gone to a deciding set with the two currently level at two wins a-piece.
Everything says that Pegula will win this one, however with a shoddy record at grand slams and Kenin with the potential to disrupt the narrative, we might be in for an upset.
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