Emma Raducanu will look to make history at the Mubadala Citi DC Open on Friday as she takes on Maria Sakkari in a high-stakes quarter-final showdown. The British star has reached the last eight in every appearance at the Washington-based WTA 500 event but is still chasing her first semi-final in the US capital.
Standing in her way is a familiar rival in Sakkari, who now calls Washington home and has been in red-hot form this week. However, Raducanu boasts a commanding 3-0 head-to-head record over the Greek, including a memorable win at Wimbledon last year.
The two first clashed during Raducanu’s fairytale run to the 2021 US Open title, where the then-18-year-old stunned Sakkari—ranked No. 18 at the time—in the semi-finals. That victory made Raducanu the first qualifier in tennis history to win a Grand Slam.
They met again at Wimbledon 2023, with Sakkari ranked inside the top 10 and eager to assert her own chances.
“I think the opportunity is for both. She’s also playing a top-10 player. Let’s not forget that,” Sakkari said before their third-round clash.
But Raducanu had the final word, defeating the No. 9 seed 6-2, 6-3 on Centre Court to continue her impressive run.
Their most recent meeting came earlier this year in Dubai, where Raducanu ended a four-match losing streak with a convincing straight-sets win over the Greek.
Now 30, Sakkari’s ranking has slipped to world No. 90, while Raducanu currently sits at No. 46. Despite the rankings gap, Sakkari has rediscovered her form in Washington. She opened her campaign by defeating British No. 1 Katie Boulter, followed by a major upset over world No. 11 Emma Navarro.
Raducanu’s path to the quarters included a statement win over Naomi Osaka, a marquee clash of Grand Slam champions that drew praise even from Sakkari.
“Emma obviously had a great run in Wimbledon. She’s been playing really well. But I feel like Naomi is also getting up there,” she said before their match.
For Sakkari, Washington feels like home—literally.
“I have never stayed home, home for a tournament. It feels great, you know,” she said after her win over Navarro.
“My goal was I really wanted to spend my birthday here, so now I’m actually going to spend my birthday on Friday here. Hopefully with a win.”
Raducanu, however, has other plans. She’ll be aiming to crash Sakkari’s birthday celebrations and reach her first Washington semi-final when the two step onto Stadium Court this Friday.
