Emma Raducanu, in midst of career resurgence, ousts Naomi Osaka at DC Open

Washington Post

24-07-2025

Though Emma Raducanu is only 22, her career has already been an odyssey. After soaring to a top-10 world ranking in 2022, injuries derailed her 2023 campaign, and by the time she returned to the court the following year, she had dropped outside the top 300.
But she has gotten on track in recent months, ascending back into the top 50 as her form has continued to improve — an ascent that continued Thursday at the DC Open when she ousted former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the tournament's quarterfinals.
It was the first-ever match between Raducanu and Osaka, who have combined for five Grand Slam titles.
'I feel composed,' Raducanu said after her victory. 'I think that's a product of just the amount of work I'm doing behind the scenes that maybe people don't see. I love that, I love banking it in, doing everything in the shadows. Yeah, and then I feel pretty calm, because I know regardless of the result I'm doing the right things.'
Raducanu, 22, burst onto the scene when she won the U.S. Open in 2021 as an 18-year-old qualifier. But injuries that required three surgeries in 2023 led to her not playing a match between April 2023 and January 2024. Beyond the physical setbacks, Raducanu has said that she wasn't necessarily ready for the success when it came her way so suddenly in 2021.
Returning to a championship level has been a challenge, she said, but she credits a more measured approach — and being less 'volatile' — for helping improve her performance.
'Minimizing the amount of time that I go down or go into myself,' Raducanu said. 'I think I have done a really good job of that, and that's my main objective now, because the results are so fleeting. Even if you win the U.S. Open, you're great for about a few days, and then straight back to it.'
In beating Osaka, Raducanu excelled from the baseline. Osaka struggled with her serve, with seven double faults to just one for Raducanu. And Raducanu was nearly perfect on break points, converting three of her four opportunities.
This will be Raducanu's third quarterfinal appearance in a WTA Tour event this year. In her first-round match, Raducanu beat Marta Kostyuk, the tournament's No. 7 seed and the No. 26 player in the world. It marked Raducanu's 11th win over a top-50 opponent this year.
Raducanu will face Maria Sakkari, who eliminated No. 2 seed Emma Navarro on Wednesday, in the quarterfinals.
'I think when I watch myself now, I really like how I look on the court,' Raducanu said. 'Not in like a narcissistic way. I mean in terms of energy, and I think I feel quite upbeat. The pink outfit is pretty cute as well.'