Emma Raducanu was full of praise for Serena Williams after she defeated the icon in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open. The Brit has struggled for form throughout her first full season on the WTA Tour and went into last night’s match with an average 11-14 record for the year.
But the teen produced arguably her best performance of 2022 as she dispatched the 23-time grand slam champion 6-4, 6-0. Post match the world number 13 paid tribute to Williams in her on-court interview. “I think we all need to just honour Serena and her amazing career,” she gushed.
“I’m so grateful for the experience of being able to play her and for our careers to cross over. Everything that she’s achieved is so inspirational and it was a true honour to share the court with her.”
Williams committed multiple mistakes as she struggled for consistency, while Raducanu was ruthless and punished any shortcomings from the former world number one. Raducanu fired just one unforced error to go with eight winners in the first set, while Williams misfired on 12 unforced errors to go with 11 winners.
The Bromley local broke Serena twice to surge into a 4-1 lead, but the 41-year-old’s champion qualities shone through as she reclaimed one of the breaks, but ultimately was unable to stop Raducanu from claiming the first set. The youngster grew in confidence and stormed through the second set without losing a game and handed Williams her first bagel since 2018.
"I think from the beginning to the end, I maybe looked calm, but I just knew how important every single point was, because you let up a little bit and she's going to be all over you," Raducanu told reporters. "She's just such a legend." The British number one's latest win is a vital one as she bids to build her form ahead of her US Open title defence.
"I think it's important to really cherish the wins, because I think that if anything, this year has taught me that the wins don't come by easily,” Raducanu added. “No matter what win that is, it means a lot to any athlete, and I definitely am going to take it in, be really proud of myself. But it is a fast turnover tomorrow, and I probably have got 12 hours until I'm back on site. I'm playing another Slam champion tomorrow, so it's obviously going to be really difficult. Just going to try to prepare as best as possible."
Williams' farewell tour will likely conclude at the US Open later this month, where she will endeavour to achieve a fairytale ending by equalling Margaret Court's grand slam record of 24. Raducanu emerged victorious in what will likely be her only match against Serena, and her reward is a first meeting against one of the icon’s biggest rivals in Victoria Azarenka in the next round.
"I remember more recently when she was playing in the US Open and made the final in 2020 during the bubble, I was studying for my exams," Raducanu said regarding her next opponent. "I hadn't played tennis in like two, three months, and I was kind of just dreaming that one day I'm going to play on Ashe, and one day I'm going to be at that level and playing these great players myself. Everything felt so far away."
