NEW YORK — The fairytale run of Emma Raducanu at the US Open is officially a memory of the past. The 2021 champion, whose stunning victory from qualifying captured the world's imagination, crashed out of the 2024 tournament in a devastatingly one-sided second-round defeat, prompting a wave of stark advice from pundits and former players, including a controversial suggestion that she needs to train with "blokes" to toughen up.
Facing World No. 33 Aliaksandra Sasnovich on a sweltering Wednesday afternoon at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Raducanu was comprehensively outplayed, succumbing 6-2, 6-4 in a match that lasted just over an hour and a half. The British star, now ranked 124th in the world, looked a shadow of the fearless teenager who blitzed through the draw without dropping a set three years ago.
The statistics from the match painted a bleak picture. Raducanu’s serve, often a weakness since her breakthrough, was broken five times. She managed to hit only 10 winners compared to a staggering 28 unforced errors, a testament to the relentless pressure applied by Sasnovich from the baseline. The Belarusian’s flat, powerful groundstrokes pinned Raducanu back, exposing her lack of match sharpness and confidence against top-tier opposition.
A Call for Tougher Practice Partners
In the immediate aftermath of the defeat, the analysis from the British tennis establishment was swift and unsparing. Former British No. 1 and 1987 Wimbledon semifinalist Tim Henman, now a pundit for Sky Sports, offered a particularly pointed piece of advice. He suggested that Raducanu’s current practice environment might be too comfortable and that she needs to seek out more challenging sparring.
"She's got to get out on the practice court," Henman stated. "She's got to get the hours in. She's got to play sets. She's got to play practice matches. She's got to find a way to get that confidence and that swagger back... I'd be getting her to hit with some blokes. I'd be getting her to play sets against some male players who can challenge her from a physical point of view, so that when she goes on the match court, it feels a little bit easier."
The notion of female players training with male counterparts to improve power and speed is not new in tennis. Legends like Serena and Venus Williams famously trained against male players throughout their careers. For Raducanu, whose game is built on precise timing and aggressive returning, the theory is that facing heavier, faster balls in practice could better prepare her for the physicality of the modern WTA tour.
Dissecting the Defeat and the Road Ahead
The loss to Sasnovich continues a frustrating pattern for Raducanu since her miraculous title win. A combination of injuries, including surgeries on both wrists and an ankle, and a revolving door of coaches has severely disrupted her momentum. This US Open was only her seventh Grand Slam main draw appearance since her victory, and she has yet to progress past the second round in any of them.
Her current coach, Nick Cavaday, has been working to rebuild her game and fitness from the ground up. The potential benefits of this long-term approach are clear, but the immediate results have been mixed. While she showed flashes of her brilliant best in a first-round win over a rusty Bianca Andreescu, the Sasnovich match was a harsh reality check.
Key areas of concern that were exposed include:
- Serve Consistency: Her first serve percentage was low, and her second serve lacked penetration, making it a target for Sasnovich's aggressive returns.
- Rally Tolerance: She struggled to sustain extended rallies, often going for low-percentage winners too early in the point.
- Physicality: In the humid New York conditions, Sasnovich appeared the stronger and more durable athlete, able to maintain her intensity throughout.
A Glimmer of Perspective Amidst the Criticism
Despite the heavy nature of the defeat, some voices urged for perspective. Raducanu herself has been open about the challenges of her last two years, framing 2024 as a "reset" season. She has repeatedly stated that her goal is not short-term results but building a foundation for a long and healthy career, free from the constant interruptions of injury.
In her post-match press conference, Raducanu was pragmatic. "It's going to take time," she admitted. "I have to be patient with myself. I've had a lot of setbacks in the last two years. I'm just building back. I lost to a better player today. She was more experienced, more solid, and she handled the conditions better."
This mature outlook is a sign of her growth off the court, even if the on-court results are slow to follow. The sheer weight of expectation that comes with being a US Open champion, particularly one who achieved it in such a unique fashion, is immense. Every loss is magnified, and every step back is analyzed as a potential crisis.
What Comes Next for the Former Champion?
The immediate future for Raducanu involves a likely drop back outside the world's top 130, meaning she will be increasingly reliant on wild cards for entry into the biggest tournaments. Her schedule for the remainder of the season will be crucial. The WTA tour moves to Asian swings in China and Korea, presenting opportunities to accumulate points and matches against a mix of opponents.
The advice from Henman and others, while blunt, underscores a universal truth in professional tennis: confidence is built on the practice court and validated in competition. Whether she takes the specific advice to train with male players or not, the core message is clear—Raducanu needs a consistent block of training and match play without physical setbacks.
Her story remains one of the most fascinating in sports. The question is no longer whether she can repeat the magic of 2021—a feat that seems increasingly like a once-in-a-lifetime anomaly—but whether she can evolve into a consistent, top-50 mainstay capable of making deep runs at majors again. The path back is long and fraught with challenges, but her talent, as she has proven, is undeniable.
As the tennis world digests another early exit, the consensus is that patience, above all, is required. For Emma Raducanu, the process of rebuilding is painfully public, and every match is a lesson. The defeat to Sasnovich was a harsh one, but it may yet become a necessary step on the long road back to the top.