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US Open 2025: Elena Rybakina vs. Emma Raducanu Preview, Prediction

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Victor Okechukwu | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 2:58 PM ET

Elena Rybakina is set to take on Emma Raducanu in the third round of the US Open. It will be the first time since 2022 that the pair are going to face each other on the court. The duo also recently partnered in the doubles of the Citi Open and won two matches together before retiring in the semi-finals.

The two friends will become on-court foes when they meet at the US Open women’s singles third round. Raducanu will enter the tie, brimming with confidence as she has dropped only six games and been broken only eight times since the start of the New York Grand Slam. Also, she has 78 percent of her first serve, a significant improvement in her game.

Elena Rybakina vs. Emma Raducanu: Match Details

Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows
Time: TBD
Round: Third round
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Tournament: US Open 2025
Match: Elena Rybakina vs. Emma Raducanu
Date: August 29, 2025

Elena Rybakina vs. Emma Raducanu: Match Preview

Elena Rybakina began the year poorly but since the start of the North American hard-court swing, she has been a better player on the court. The Kazakhstan star has won 43 matches this season and the bulk of them came in the past few weeks. She reached the semi-finals of the Citi Open before losing to Leylah Fernandez.

The former Wimbledon champion then got to the Canadian Open before falling to Victoria Mboko. It was at Cincinnati that she was most impressive, beating Madison Keys and Aryna Sabalenka to reach the semi-finals. Since arriving for the US Open, she’s yet to drop a set, beating Julieta Pareja and Tereza Valentova in straight sets to reach the third round.

Emma Raducanu, on the other hand, is currently enjoying her best season so far in her career. She has won 26 matches on tour, her best ever, even more than the season when she claimed the US Open in 2021. The former World No.10 made the semi-finals of the Citi Open in Washington but lost to Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets.

She produced a rather impressive performance against Aryna Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open, pushing the World No.1 to a third-set tiebreak, but the Brit eventually lost the match. However, at the 2025 US Open, she defeated Ena Shibahara 6-1, 6-2 in the opening round before overcoming Janice Tjen 6-2, 6-1 to reach the third round.

Elena Rybakina vs. Emma Raducanu: Match Prediction

Elena Rybakina is currently in her best form on tour this season, as she has produced more consistent results in the past few weeks. She boasts the highest percentage of first serve points won across the tour (73.7%) and has defeated several top 10 players since the start of the North American hard-court season.

The former World No.3 also claimed the Strasbourg Open title in May, and she’s seeking her second Grand Slam at the US Open. Nonetheless, she holds a 1-0 lead over Emma Raducanu in their head-to-head record. Their only meeting came at the Sydney International in 2022, where she overcame the British star 6-0, 6-1.

Raducanu has also been in good form since March. The World No.36 proved that she can play against top players when she faced Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of the Cincinnati Open. Despite losing the tie in three sets, she must have picked some positives from the clash and will hope to use them against Rybakina, who’s known to play a similar style of game to Sabalenka.

Match prediction: Elena Rybakina to win in three sets.