Emma Raducanu’s bid for a second US Open title came to an abrupt end on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The British number one made a fast start in New York, as Raducanu dominated Ena Shibahara and Janice Tjen en route to round three.
Unfortunately for Raducanu, it was the in-form Elena Rybakina who stood between her and a place in the last 16.
In straight sets, Rybakina crushed Raducanu, 6-1, 6-2, knocking the 2021 champion out of the tournament.
Reacting to the 22-year-old’s US Open exit, Tim Henman predicted her next steps.
Tim Henman thinks Emma Raducanu will analyse defeat with her team after ‘reality check’ at US Open
Speaking to Sky Sports in the aftermath of Raducanu’s defeat, Henman weighed in with his thoughts.
“Tough day at the office. I think [Emma] Raducanu will go away with her whole team and analyse this,” he said.
“We talk about her up against a top ten player, one of the best players out there.
“There have been a lot of positives about this hard-court season, but this was a bit of a reality check.
“It’s a difficult day, but she will learn a lot from it, Raducanu.”
As Henman rightly pointed out, there were positives to take from Raducanu’s US Open swing, as the Brit won eight matches in total.
| Match | Opponent | Result | Score |
| 2025 Washington Open – 1R | Marta Kostyuk | Win | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 2025 Washington Open – 2R | Naomi Osaka | Win | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2025 Washington Open – QF | Maria Sakkari | Win | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 2025 Washington Open – SF | Anna Kalinskaya | Loss | 4-6, 3-6 |
| 2025 Canadian Open – 1R | Elena-Gabriela Ruyse | Win | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 2025 Canadian Open – 2R | Peyton Stearns | Win | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 2025 Canadian Open – 3R | Amanda Anisimova | Loss | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 2025 Cincinnati Open – 2R | Olga Danilovic | Win | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2025 Cincinnati Open – 3R | Aryna Sabalenka | Loss | 6-7, 6-4, 6-7 |
| 2025 US Open – 1R | Ena Shibahara | Win | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 2025 US Open – 2R | Janice Tjen | Win | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 2025 US Open – 3R | Elena Rybakina | Loss | 1-6, 2-6 |
Performing as well as she did, Raducanu convinced many that she could provide a challenge to Rybakina at the US Open.
“I think it’s a positive in a way that we both felt she could do it,” said Laura Robson to Henman.
“If a few things had changed throughout that match, maybe a bit earlier with the weight of shot…
“I would have liked to have seen her start the point a bit further back at times with the return, but she can do it.”
Raducanu has plenty of work to do as she finishes her 2025 Grand Slam campaign with a 7-4 record.
Emma Raducanu’s Grand Slam defeats in 2025
The British star failed to make it out of the third round at any of the four major tournaments she played in 2025, a disappointing effort for a player making such noticeable improvements to her game.
However, when you look closer at those defeats, Raducanu’s efforts don’t look quite so bad after all.
- 2025 Australian Open 3R – Emma Raducanu lost to Iga Swiatek
- 2025 French Open 2R – Emma Raducanu lost to Iga Swiatek
- 2025 Wimbledon 3R – Emma Raducanu lost to Aryna Sabalenka
- 2025 US Open 3R – Emma Raducanu lost to Elena Rybakina
All four of Raducanu’s Grand Slam losses in 2025 came against former major champions.
Iga Swiatek took her out of the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June, before Aryna Sabalenka got the better of Raducanu at Wimbledon in July.
Raducanu was given plenty of credit for her battling performance against Sabalenka on Centre Court earlier in the summer.
She may not have picked up the win, but she certainly proved to her doubters that she had taken a significant step forward.
The question for Raducanu now is whether she can start beating the very best players in the women’s game.
If she’s content with being a top-30 or top-40 player, then valiantly losing in straight sets is fine, but nothing about Raducanu suggests that’s what she’s looking to achieve in the sport.
Just four years ago, Raducanu picked up her first major title, and she’s been working hard to make sure that it wasn’t her last.
Raducanu will have her next shot at Grand Slam glory in Melbourne when the 2026 Australian Open begins on Monday, January 12.
