Aryna Sabalenka Defeats Emma Raducanu In Thrilling 3rd Round Match

If you’ve been living under a rock (or just avoiding tennis Twitter), you might have missed Aryna Sabalenka and Emma Raducanu putting on a clinic at the Cincinnati Open. Both players brought their A-game for a nerve-wracking, marathon of a showdown that spanned over three hours and ended in a knife-edge victory for Sabalenka 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(5).

The First Set Rollercoaster

Sabalenka started looking like she just rolled out of bed, dropping the first nine points so fast it felt like she was never going to recover. Raducanu was locked in, cruising to a 2-0 lead, when Sabalenka finally remembered she is the No. 1 player in the world.

Sabalenka flipped the script with back-to-back breaks and stormed ahead, flipping the early deficit into a 4-2 lead. But Raducanu wasn’t about to roll over. Things got spicy as both players traded momentum like it was a hot potato. By the time we hit the inevitable breaker, Sabalenka hit that “I’m winning this or else” energy, taking it 7-3.

Raducanu Hits Back Hard

Here’s where it got really interesting. Coming into this match, Raducanu had never taken a set off the World No. 1. Never. With both players tightening up their serves in the second set, it was a grind to the finish. At 3-3, Raducanu pounced on a rare slip from Sabalenka, earning a key break and locking in her first-ever set against the top-seeded Belarusian with a dominant service game.

The Third Set Showdown

If the first two sets weren’t heart-thumping enough, the third set was pure adrenaline. Raducanu started having some issues with first serves, but the Brit’s resolve was unreal. At 4-3, they played a service game so long (32 points) it should have had its own popcorn vendor. Raducanu fended off four break points in the same game, finally holding serve to stay alive.

This war of attrition came down to another tiebreak, and it was Sabalenka, one mini-break better, who took it. Even then, it still looked like Raducanu might claw back. Sabalenka took three of the last four points to finish it, clinching the win and a desperate-looking sigh of relief.

Match Stats That Tell the Tale

Want numbers to go with the drama? Sabalenka landed 58% of her first serves and won 78% of them, while Raducanu clocked 64% but hung tough with a 75% win rate. Both players cranked out unforced errors like they were free. Sabalenka hit 72 and Raducanu added 41. Aces? Raducanu threw down nine compared to Sabalenka’s six. Double faults? Neither was immune, with nine from Raducanu and three from Sabalenka. It was as messy as it was electrifying.

Looking Ahead For Both Players

For Sabalenka, this wasn’t just a win; it was an exorcism. Matches like these are why she’s world No. 1, but it took everything she had. Up next? A clash in the Round of 16 against the quietly surging Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Raducanu, meanwhile, might’ve taken the L, but she earned probably the biggest pat on the back you can get for not winning in tennis circles. For someone clawing her way back to form, pushing the best in the game to the absolute brink says a lot. The U.S. Open is around the corner, and no one is sleeping on Raducanu anymore.

This Match Is Why We Love Tennis

Tennis thrives on these battles. It is not just about technique (though, obviously, that helps) but the raw intensity and mental fortitude. Watching Sabalenka and Raducanu spar felt less like a tennis match and more like a heavyweight brawl that just happened to involve tennis rackets.

If Sabalenka’s grit didn’t make you a fan, and if Raducanu’s endless hustle didn’t pull on some strings, are you even watching tennis? These are the matches we’ll point to in a few years when someone asks us why this sport is so epic.