"They always raise their game against me": Emma Raducanu feels target on her back after Elena Rybakina loss

Emma Raducanu admitted she found it “very difficult to get any sort of rhythm” as her US Open run came to an end against Elena Rybakina. The Briton, who has shown steady progress throughout the Grand Slam season, said the Kazakh’s relentless pressure left her with few opportunities to strike.

Raducanu lost out 6-1, 6-2 after she had previously swept aside Janice Tjen and Ena Shibahara. The increase in class was too much too handle with the former US Open champion down in the dumps in her press conference about her latest display.

“She played very well and I found it really hard to get any rhythm in the match,” Raducanu said afterwards. “When I did have a ball, it was hard for me to suddenly hit a quality shot because so many of them were so deep, or I just didn’t touch that many either. It was tough to capitalise on the few moments I had. But credit to her, she played a very good match.”

Raducanu rued a missed opportunity early in the second set when she let slip a 40–love lead. “Maybe if I’d held in the first game of the second set,” she reflected. “I missed a couple of shots I probably wouldn’t usually miss. At the same time, every ball I was receiving felt so difficult. I was almost shocked when I got a shorter ball.”

Despite the disappointment, Raducanu was keen to put the defeat into context. Her Grand Slam season has only seen her fall to the game’s elite – Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and now Rybakina. “It’s definitely a goal and a target,” she said of closing the gap. “With my ranking, I can face top opponents in the first, second, or third round. I’ve just got to do my best in the next few months until Australia to keep working and try to close the gap. I think I’m improving for sure in the last few months. I just need to stay consistent and put this one behind me.”

The 2021 US Open champion stressed the importance of perspective. “It’s important to look at the last few months and weeks as a whole and the improvements I’ve made. A match like this can easily get you down if you let it, so I’m going to try not to. I’ll regroup, work hard, and get ready for Asia.”

Raducanu confirmed she will continue working with coach Francisco Roig until the end of the year, praising the progress made during their short time together. “It’s only been three weeks, but it’s been pretty successful in the sense we’ve made good improvements. Certain parts of my game have definitely gotten better. Today my weaknesses were highlighted, but he can’t work miracles in three weeks. I know we’re doing good work and I look forward to continuing.”

Asked about the gap between the very top and the rest of the field, Raducanu pointed to the relentless pressure applied by players such as Świątek and Rybakina. “When you’re playing Elena, she has a great serve. Her second serve comes in quick and high, and the return comes back faster—you’ve barely landed from your serve and it’s already back on the baseline. The ball just comes through really fast and you feel like you don’t have any time to create anything. It’s constant pressure. Then when you do get a normal ball, you feel even more pressure to execute, and that’s when errors can come.”

While she admitted it was “tough to enjoy today,” Raducanu said she is embracing the bigger picture. “You take a few steps forward, one step back, but overall I’m working towards good things. I’m enjoying my tennis for the most part. I’ve never really played the Asia swing, so hopefully this year I’ll be able to. It’s not long until it starts, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”

Health and consistency remain priorities after an injury-hit 2023. “I want to train a lot, and I practise quite a lot of hours. But that can put a lot of wear on my body. Now I’m doing a good job—pretty strong and fit overall. For the most part, I’m not getting injured. But that’s where I need to be reined in, and I need the people around me to pull me back and say, ‘We’ve done enough.’ Because I always want to do more—practise more, play more, compete more.”

Raducanu also acknowledged that her reputation means opponents are highly motivated against her. “Big time,” she said when asked if she feels she has a target on her back. “When the very top play against me, they want to prove why they’re at the top and that they’re there for a reason. Every time I’ve played one, they’ve shown that. While I’m improving, doing better, gaining maybe more respect, the top have definitely raised their game. But I’ll take it as a compliment that they lock in against me. It also shows I have a lot more work to do.”