Emma Raducanu’s US Open title defense came to an abrupt end in the first round on Tuesday as she fell to American Sofia Kenin in a three-set thriller, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. The 2021 champion, who skipped key warm-up tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati, admitted that she could have used more match practice leading up to the tournament.
Raducanu struggled to find her rhythm in the opening set, falling behind early to a dominant Kenin, who displayed aggressive play with six aces and 45 winners. However, the Brit raised her level in the second set, breaking Kenin in the fifth game and closing out the set with a forehand winner. The momentum shifted once again in the decider, with Kenin breaking Raducanu in the fifth game before sealing the victory with a hold to love in the final game.
Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, is hoping to use this win as a springboard to turn her season around after a string of disappointing results. “It was a very tough match – Emma’s a previous champion here so of course I kind of felt that,” said Kenin. “I felt like I had to dig deep to get the win.”
Raducanu, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon earlier this year, expressed her disappointment after the match, acknowledging the emotional toll of the defeat. “I feel down. I feel sad. Obviously this is a tournament that I really want to do well in,” she said. Despite the loss, Raducanu remains committed to learning from the experience and looking ahead to future tournaments.
This loss marks Raducanu’s third consecutive first-round exit at Flushing Meadows. She has not won a match at the US Open since her historic victory in 2021, missing the tournament last year due to injury. Raducanu will now focus on regrouping and building momentum for the remainder of the season.
