Louis Armstrong Stadium floodlights shined brightly. Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina locked horns with the British Emma Raducanu, another key player in the tournament. It was an anticipated high-voltage form as Raducanu has been having a good form over the past few matches. But the result turned out to be quite the opposite. It was a straight-set victory for Elena, showcasing her skills on the courts of New York. Something that was worth watching was the confidence and consistency with which Elena delivered her shots.
Rybakina Outclasses Raducanu with Power and Precision
From the very beginning, Elena was being aggressive and used her trademark shot, booming serves, and her baseline hitting was on point as always. Raducanu, on the other hand, was struggling like anything, and there has been a consistent dip in her performance, which was noticed since the US Open 2021 title, and the problem with her fitness has been a problem since then. In just half an hour, the first set was over with Rybakina leading with 6-1, and finally ending with a smooth win in the first set and which had set the tone for the match already.
Elena Rybakina is in the zone. pic.twitter.com/qXmjpzan5A
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2025
Clinical Rybakina Ends Raducanu’s Run with a 6–1, 6–3 Triumph
In the second set, Raducanu did try to manage and kind of do damage control, but it was already too late to do that by extending serve rallies, and also an attempt to hold serve, but in vain. The groundstrokes helped her back up the serves, and this gave momentum to Elena back again. The scores became 3-1 as Rybakina broke Raducanu's confidence and sealed the fate of the match with this. The calm and composure helped her win this set with a scoreline of 6–1, 6–2 in a clinical way, and this was the end for Raducanu here. Elena previously a Wimbledon champion, gave a reminder to her fans that she can change the situations of the game and her ability, and to be calm and composed even in times of nerve-wreckening.
For Raducanu, it will be a lesson to remember as she continues with her struggles to rebuild her career while also balancing her fitness, and it will be interesting to see how she manages herself in the upcoming matches.