Emma Raducanu is safely into the US Open second round after a convincing 6-1, 6-2 win over Ena Shibahara.
Raducanu secured her quickest career win over Shibahara, who was a qualifier at the hard-court Grand Slam.
British number one Raducanu now takes on the winner of qualifier Janice Tjen and 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova in round two of the US Open.
Raducanu was working hard with Francisco Roig ahead of the US Open, with the latter having helped Rafael Nadal to phenomenal success.
The pair will now return to practice in a bid to get ready for the second round of the Grand Slam, which the Briton won in 2021.
What Martina Navratilova noticed about Emma Raducanu’s US Open first round interview
Former players Martina Navratilova and Tim Henman were both on hand to analyse the 22-year-old after the impressive win, both on and off the court.
Navratilova said on Sky Sports Tennis: “I was really impressed with her footwork. It’s always been good but she was so light on her feet. She moved beautifully forward as well as sideways and was always on her front foot.
“It was really impressive all the way round. She was not pushed and when she was pushed in those games she came through it.”
Henman commented: “She is really doing all the right things. Whether it is technically or tactical or the drills in the gym.
“She is looking fitter, stronger and faster and when you add together these pieces of the puzzle that’s why she is playing consistently and beating good players.
“I think when you rewind a couple of years ago she was having wins on the tour and you felt there was an element of surprise.
“But now with her performance, like in Washington where she beat some very good players getting to the semifinals, where she pushed [Aryna] Sabalenka close, you are feeling this is her level.
“Another level of good performances and then she is seeded in Australia and it’s onwards and upwards so fingers crossed it’s more of the same for Raducanu going forward.”
Navratilova then added: “She did all the right things on the court and then in the interview she was right on the money with her mental state and how she is thinking and how she is approaching everything. It was perfect.
“You could not have scripted better the answers that she gave. She is feeling it. This is not a canned answer, this is how she is feeling. She sees the results and it’s all connected, the brain and the body, the emotions and the heart.”
What did Emma Raducanu say after her first US Open win since 2021?
Raducanu does look like a completely different player from recent years, during which she suffered from various unfortunate injury issues.
But it seems that such problems are now behind her, with Raducanu having really impressed in 2025 so far.
READ MORE: Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz exchange messages on Instagram after their US Open doubles match
She’s now clinched her first win at the US Open since that stunning 2021 success, of which the Briton said afterwards: “Of course, I’m very, very pleased to have won that match. It’s my first win at the US Open since 2021, so it’s extra special.
“First rounds are always difficult and especially at a Slam, you know, there are nerves, and I’m just so happy with the way I came through that and playing Ena. I mean, she’s really tricky.
“She hit so many balls on the baseline that I was not expecting to just death and she obviously came through qualifying, and it’s always, you know, you feel like you have a bit of an advantage, you’re playing on the surface, and you know what it feels like, so I’m just very pleased with how I managed myself, managed my game through that match.”
Adding how she’s feeling with herself and her current coaching setup following the win, she said: “Yeah, I’m very happy.
“I’ve got amazing people in my corner over there, so I want to thank them, and it makes every day at the work feel a lot more enjoyable, pleasurable, and I see the progress that I’m making on the practice court and it might not come straight away, but I know over time, I’m just racking up good days building, and I feel like it has to go somewhere.”
The British number one now has a 25-17 win-loss record for the season as she looks to progress further in New York.
It’s the most wins in a single campaign for the former world number 10, who currently sits 36th in the WTA rankings.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
