Emma Raducanu and Elena Rybakina made a tough call to retire from their doubles semi-final at the Citi DC Open, succumbing to the relentless heat that has gripped Washington, D.C., during the tournament. The pair, seeded fifth and dubbed “Rybacanu” by fans, withdrew after just 25 minutes of play on Friday, July 25, 2025, trailing 4-1 in the first set against Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai. The decision came nearly seven hours after Raducanu’s grueling 6-4, 7-5 singles quarter-final win over Maria Sakkari, played under blistering 36-degree Celsius conditions with high humidity, which had already forced a medical timeout where she “felt like head was in an oven” during a vitals check.
Raducanu’s post-match comments after the Sakkari victory highlighted her physical struggle, stating, “I’m not feeling the best right now, so I just need to go and speak to the doctors.” The extreme heat, combined with the late-night doubles scheduling, proved too much, with both players—Rybakina having also contested a singles quarter-final—opting to prioritize health over competition. Rybakina, ranked No. 4, echoed the sentiment, noting the physical toll of back-to-back matches in such conditions. The retirement hands Townsend and Zhang a walkover to the final, ending Raducanu’s bid for a doubles title alongside her ongoing singles semi-final pursuit against Anna Kalinskaya on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at 12:07 PM WAT. This tough call underscores the challenging environment, raising concerns about Raducanu’s readiness for her US Open mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz.
