“It’s a fact-finding match” – Emma Raducanu shares ‘reasonable’ take on facing Aryna Sabalenka at Cincinnati Open; Belarusian also weighs in
Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion and world No. 38, described her third-round clash with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the 2025 Cincinnati Open as a “fact-finding match” to gauge her level against the elite. Speaking to Tennis Channel after her 6-3, 6-2 win over Olga Danilović on August 9, 2025, Raducanu said, “It’s like a fact-finding match, so you can see where you are in comparison to the top. I also think form fluctuates so much on the day, so you can lose 2&1 one day, and you could make it close the next day. I’m excited either way. Aryna is world No. 1, so it’ll be an exciting match and a good experience,” per sportskeeda.com. She acknowledged Sabalenka’s edge on hard courts, adding, “I’m reasonable enough to know that different surfaces favor different people… I think the grass gave me a bit of an advantage [at Wimbledon], but we’ll see how it goes,” per tennis.com.
Sabalenka, fresh off a 7-5, 6-1 rout of Markéta Vondroušová, expressed enthusiasm for the challenge, stating, “She challenged me in that [Wimbledon] match, and I like to accept tough challenges, so I’m super excited facing her on a hard court,” per tennis365.com. Their previous encounters—Sabalenka’s 6-3, 7-5 win at 2024 Indian Wells and 7-6(6), 6-4 victory at 2025 Wimbledon—highlight her 2-0 head-to-head lead, with the latter match marred by a disputed line call that left Raducanu questioning the electronic system, per @PakPassionSport. Sabalenka’s 34-10 2025 record, including a US Open title, and her 85% hard-court win rate (24-4) make her a formidable opponent, per profootballnetwork.com.
Raducanu, under new coach Francisco Roig, is riding a 6-2 North American hard-court swing, with her Cincinnati performance (71% first-serve points, seven aces) signaling progress, per tennisuptodate.com. A win could net 215 points, boosting her US Open seeding chances, per tennis365.com. Fans on X, like @TennisFanatic22, praised her mindset: “Emma calling it a ‘fact-finding mission’ shows she’s ready to learn and grow.” Sabalenka’s backhand dominance and 12/12 break-point saves against Vondroušová, per @CincyTennis, underscore her threat, but Raducanu’s confidence on hard courts and recent form suggest a competitive clash on August 11 at 11:00 AM ET.
