Emma Raducanu now holds the unfortunate record of the lowest win percentage among Grand Slam champions since the introduction of WTA 1000 tournaments in 2009. This comes after her defeat to Moyuka Uchijima on Thursday.
Since her unexpected triumph at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu has struggled in these high-level events, holding a win percentage of just 42.3%.
She now sits behind Francesca Schiavone, who previously had the lowest success rate among major winners in WTA 1000 events. This statistic also casts a harsh light on other one-time Slam champions. Sofia Kenin, who won the Australian Open during a period of frequent new winners, has a 51.3% success rate in these tournaments. Sloane Stephens, another US Open champion like Raducanu, holds a 53.8% win rate, while Jelena Ostapenko follows with 54.7%. Though Ostapenko has not consistently dominated since her Roland Garros victory, she has remained a steady competitor on the tour.
Raducanu, however, suffered defeat at the hands of an emerging Japanese talent. Uchijima will now face Coco Gauff, a matchup that had many anticipating a showdown between Raducanu and Gauff. Instead, it is Uchijima who secured the win and advances to the marquee matchup.
Raducanu’s WTA 1000 record now stands at 11 wins and 15 losses. The journey back to form has been challenging for the Brit, who recently also endured the ordeal of a stalker in Dubai. As the setbacks continue, the road ahead remains difficult.
