Emma Raducanu is poised to rekindle her rivalry with Maria Sakkari in the round of 64 at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The two last faced off at Wimbledon last summer, where Sakkari, ranked No. 9 at the time, reminded everyone of the challenge ahead. Before their match, she boldly stated, “I think the opportunity is for both. She’s also playing a top-10 player. Let’s not forget that.” While acknowledging the stakes, Sakkari also praised Raducanu, calling her “an unbelievable player,” “very talented,” and “very promising,” emphasizing that even after winning a Grand Slam, Raducanu remains very young.
Sakkari continued, “Obviously, she’s going to be the favourite because she’ll be playing [at] home. If anything, that’s normal. But I’m excited. It’s another challenge. That’s why we play tennis. That’s what we play for. It’s going to be pretty exciting. I’m pumped.”
Despite the pressure, Raducanu dominated their match in just 92 minutes, securing a 6-2, 6-3 victory to move into the last 16. However, her Wimbledon run ended in the next round, where she narrowly lost to New Zealand’s Lulu Sun 2-6, 7-5, 2-6.
Currently ranked No. 60 in the WTA standings, Raducanu has accumulated 121 career wins and 65 losses. While she missed out on the 2024 Wimbledon title, the British star has already accomplished something Sakkari has not: a US Open singles title, which she won in 2021. In that tournament, Raducanu defeated Sakkari in the semi-finals before clinching the championship with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Leylah Fernandez. As for the 2025 season, Raducanu is still chasing her first tournament win of the year. She was eliminated in the third round of the Australian Open by Iga Swiatek, the round of 32 in Abu Dhabi by Marketa Vondrousova, and in the round of 64 at the Qatar Open by Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Meanwhile, Sakkari, who has dropped to No. 29 in the rankings, is aiming for an improved 2025 campaign. The Greek star, with two career titles to her name—the 2019 Morocco Open and the 2023 Guadalajara Open—will look to bounce back when she faces Raducanu. Her best result this season so far was a quarter-final loss to Dayana Yastremska at the Linz Open in late January.
