Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me. As Emma Raducanu’s Grand Slam season was ended by yet another defeat at the hands of the Big Four, the British No 1 believes the elite players in the women’s game are out to get her.
Elena Rybakina thrashed Raducanu 6-1, 6-2 in the third round of the US Open, a match which at an hour and two minutes was the 22-year-old’s quickest ever Grand Slam defeat.
After shellackings by Iga Swiatek in Melbourne and Paris, followed by a much closer tussle with Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon, Raducanu has failed to go beyond the third round in the majors this season – falling each time to a Grand Slam champion.
And in a dozen meetings with the four best players of this generation – the above-mentioned trio plus Coco Gauff – Raducanu has lost all 12, winning only a single set.
Asked whether she feels the creme de la creme raise their level against her, the world No 36 replied: ‘Yeah, big time. I think when the very top play against me, they have a point to prove that they’re at the top for a reason.
‘Every time I’ve played one of them they’ve shown that.
Emma Raducanu has claimed her opponents step up their game against her
Raducanu was thrashed 6-1 6-2 by Elena Rybakina in the third round of the US Open
‘While I’m improving, doing better, gaining maybe some more respect, I think the top have definitely raised their game.
‘But I’ll take that as a compliment that they’ve decided to really lock in against me, but at the same time it does show I have a lot more work to do.’
Is there anything to this theory? It is definitely the case that, after winning the US Open in 2021, Raducanu left New York with a target on her back. That is less the case now but her Grand Slam title perhaps means the top women approach her with a little more intensity than might be typical for against a player of her ranking.
Rybakina certainly looked more dialled-in against Raducanu than she did in labouring past 18-year-old Czech qualifier Tereza Valentova in the second round.
Raducanu had played superbly in reaching this stage, losing only six games and being the only player in the draw to reach the third round without dropping her serve.
There has been distinct improvement in the three weeks she has spent with new coach Francis Roig, so hope was rising that this could be her moment to finally earn a prized scalp.
Her challenge was to make the match about athleticism; if she could get Rybakina on the run, she had a chance. But the purity of the 2022 Wimbledon champion’s ballstriking, especially on the return of serve, denied Raducanu any route into rallies.
Where Raducanu erred was in failing to take advantage of a bad serving day from Rybakina. The Kazak landed only 47 per cent of her first serves and a returner of Raducanu’s class really ought to have taken advantage.
British No 1 Raducanu has failed to go beyond the third round in the majors this season
Her cardinal sin was her failure to take advantage of a bad serving day for Rybakina
But she was too often caught betwixt and between, at times hanging back, at others stepping in and being aggressive. As Laura Robson said on Sky Sports commentary: ‘Raducanu wasn’t committed tactically. At times it looked like she was trying to hit big, but then the next point she’d take half a step back.’
Raducanu said: ‘I found it very difficult to get any sort of rhythm.
‘So when I did have a ball, it was hard for me to all of a sudden hit a quality shot and capitalize on the few moments I had.’
Raducanu’s cardinal sin came in the first game of the second set when, from 40-0 up, she was broken via five unforced errors, three on her stronger backhand wing.
‘Every time I’ve played Iga and Elena, they’ve played unbelievable,’ added Raducanu. ‘The ball just comes through really, really fast and you feel like you don’t have any time to create anything, it’s just constant pressure.
‘A lot of it on match-ups as well. Aryna is No 1 in the world but I find it harder to play against Elena in that kind of form. Her ball is just so clean and heavy with so much ease. Aryna hits really big but maybe makes a few more errors than Elena did today.’
Still, as Raducanu and coach Roig move on to the Asian swing, they can reflect positively on eight wins from 12 matches on the North American hard courts. Raducanu confirmed that Roig is only contracted until the end of the season as it stands – it should be a priority to extend that deal.
‘Right now we’re working through to the end of the year,’ she said. ‘I’m looking forward to getting back to work. It’s only been three weeks but I think we’ve made good improvements.
Raducanu should make extending new coach Francisco Roig’s deal a priority
‘There are certain parts of my game which have gotten better for sure. Today my weaknesses were highlighted but it’s only been three weeks and he can’t work miracles.
‘I know we’re doing good work and I just look forward to continuing.’
On the men’s side of the draw, British No 2 Jacob Fearnley lost overnight to Alexander Zverev, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. The Scot is showing signs of fatigue in the second half of his first full season on tour and hit 30 double faults across his two rounds here.
That left the British singles challenge in the hands of Cam Norrie, who is taking on Novak Djokovic under the lights on Arthur Ashe.
