Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion and world No. 38, faces Serbia’s Olga Danilović in the second round of the 2025 Cincinnati Open (August 7-18), a player who made headlines for her tearful on-court speech after a dramatic victory at the 2025 French Open. According to Express.co.uk and Eurosport (August 9, 2025), Danilović, then ranked No. 125, broke down in tears following her third-round upset over No. 10 seed Donna Vekić on May 31, 2025, winning 0-6, 7-5, 7-6(8) in a three-hour epic to reach her first Grand Slam second week as a qualifier. In her emotional interview on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, Danilović said, “I don’t know what to say. I have no words. Thank you everyone for supporting me… I don’t even know how I won this match,” her voice cracking as tears flowed, per Eurosport. She later explained to Tennis.com, “It was relief and happiness. I’d never been past the third round of a Slam, and to do it as a qualifier was overwhelming.”
Danilović, now ranked No. 43, earned her Cincinnati second-round spot by defeating Britain’s Katie Boulter 6-0, 7-5 on August 8, 2025, showcasing her aggressive baseline game and mental toughness. The 24-year-old left-hander, who won the 2018 Moscow River Cup as a wildcard, has a 20-14 record in 2025, with a career-best Roland Garros fourth-round run, where she lost to Markéta Vondroušová. Her emotional resilience, evident in her Paris comeback, poses a challenge for Raducanu, who is under pressure to reach the Cincinnati round of 16 (120 points) or quarterfinals (215 points) to secure a top-32 US Open seeding, per tennis365.com.
Raducanu, with a 23-16 season record and recent wins over Jessica Pegula and Maria Sakkari, is working with new coach Francisco Roig to refine her serve and consistency. However, her 0-6 record against top-10 players in 2025 and a tough potential third-round matchup against Aryna Sabalenka loom large. Danilović’s emotional French Open moment, amplified by posts on X like @Tennis’s “Olga’s tears were so raw, what a moment,” highlights her grit, making her a formidable opponent. Raducanu’s own mental reset through hobbies like mahjong, per The Express US, may help her navigate this high-stakes clash as she eyes a US Open resurgence alongside her mixed doubles partnership with Carlos Alcaraz.
