Raducanu Tests Sabalenka in Cincinnati Under Roig

Emma Raducanu’s Cincinnati Open campaign yielded another telling sign of a possible resurgence, as she pushed world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to the limit in a grueling three-hour duel that ended with a narrow final-set finish. The result, coming in her first event with a new coach, Francisco Roig, reinforced the British player’s growing belief that she can contend again at major tournaments, even as the path to a seeded berth at the US Open remains uncertain.

Raducanu’s performance against Sabalenka reflected a clear upturn in her form since Wimbledon. After a Wimbledon third-round loss to Sabalenka, she again proved capable of matching the top player across a full match, forcing the decider and taking advantage of a late rally that briefly turned the tide. In post-match assessments, prominent coaches and observers emphasized the quality of her play and its potential implications for the upcoming Grand Slam in New York. One noted mentor highlighted the “great competitive effort” she showed, and suggested she had merely lost the edge of winning momentum rather than the fundamental skills that anchored her 2021 breakthrough.

That US Open path, however, remains complicated by seeding...