Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 1, offered no sympathy for Emma Raducanu’s equipment mishap during their third-round clash at Wimbledon on July 4, 2025, labeling it a “rookie mistake” that could have been avoided with better preparation. Raducanu, ranked No. 40, fell 7-6(8-6), 6-4 to Sabalenka on Centre Court, but her performance was hampered early by issues with her racket string tension, which she claimed was off, forcing her to send two rackets to the stringer—a process that took 20 minutes, per Express.co.uk. Sabalenka, speaking post-match, emphasized the need for readiness, stating, “That’s more to have an extra racket, maybe not in your bag, but your team. My team always has two extra rackets with higher tension and two with lower tension. They prepare it. You don’t have to wait… You got to be prepared.”
The issue echoed a similar problem Raducanu faced in her first-round win over Mimi Xu, where she also needed her team to visit the stringer after the opening game. Sabalenka, reflecting on her own past struggles, including a French Open semifinal loss to Karolína Muchová where she played with suboptimal tension, stressed the importance of learning from such errors. Raducanu’s frustration was compounded by a delayed start under Centre Court’s closed roof, caused by lengthy matches from Taylor Fritz and Carlos Alcaraz, which she felt disrupted her rhythm, per The Standard.
Despite the defeat, Raducanu pushed Sabalenka to the limit, leading 4-2 in the first set and 4-1 in the second, and saving seven set points in a 74-minute opener before losing the tiebreak. Sabalenka praised Raducanu’s resilience, predicting a top-10 return, saying, “She played such incredible tennis and pushed me really hard… I’m pretty sure she will get back to the top 10 soon.” Raducanu, reflecting on the loss, told BBC Sport, “It’s hard to take right now, but I pushed Aryna, who is No. 1… I have to be proud.” Her performance, watched by millions on BBC, underscored her progress, per Express.co.uk.
The “rookie mistake” critique, amplified by posts on X like @talkSPORT’s, sparked debate, with some fans defending Raducanu’s inexperience against Sabalenka’s seasoned preparation. As Raducanu prepares for the Cincinnati Open, where she faces a tough draw including a potential Sabalenka rematch, her new coach, Francisco Roig, may focus on such logistical details to avoid similar pitfalls at the US Open, where she’s set to play mixed doubles with Alcaraz.
