Emma Raducanu and Elena Rybakina are poised to face off in the third round of the US Open on Friday, but the WTA duo were once branded a “disgrace” by tennis fans
US Open contender Emma Raducanu is set to face Elena Rybakina at the US Open following an incident earlier this year when the pair found themselves at odds with fans. Interestingly, the WTA duo were team-mates when they stirred up controversy among supporters.
Former US Open champion Raducanu and 2022 Wimbledon winner Rybakina are due to clash in the third round at Flushing Meadows on Friday. So far, 22-year-old tennis talent Raducanu has breezed through the tournament and lost only six games after straight-set victories over Ena Shibahara and Janie Tjen.
However, her competition is about to intensify as she prepares to take on ninth seed Rybakina. The two have only faced each other once in singles play, but it was only in July that they teamed up for the women’s doubles at the Citi DC Open.
The pair were doing well after making it to the semi-finals of the Washington DC competition. However, they unexpectedly found themselves facing a backlash from fans after retiring midway through their match against eventual champions Taylor Townsend and Shuai Zhang.
The Daily Express reported how Raducanu and Rybakina were trailing 1-4 in the first set when they decided to withdraw. This move was seen as disrespectful by some spectators, many of whom had expected the star duo to go all the way and secure the doubles title.
“What a waste of a doubles slot…disgrace to the game,” wrote one disgruntled detractor online. “Why waste a slot if you’re not gonna play?” A second supporter added: “A lot of people do this but it tarnishes doubles, these sort of withdrawals.”
Others speculated former BBC Sports Personality of the Year-winner Raducanu and Rybakina had withdrawn because they didn’t want to compromise their singles campaigns. Both stars reached the semis of the singles tournament, leaving some convinced their priorities lay elsewhere.
“Retiring from doubles because you go further in singles than you thought, is one of the things that p***** me off about the ‘show players’ playing in the doubles,” wrote one spectator. “They all do it all the time.”
Raducanu, who could win £3.7million if she triumphs in New York, and Rybakina’s sole singles meeting to date came at the 2022 Sydney Tennis Classic in January 2024. Less than six months after the former stunned the tennis world by claiming the US Open title, Rybakina delivered a harsh reality check with a comprehensive 6-0, 6-1 thrashing.
Both competitors have evolved considerably since that encounter, and Raducanu is better-positioned than ever to demonstrate her 2021 US Open triumph was no fluke. Her experience partnering with Rybakina will undoubtedly benefit her in that cause.
The same could be said for Rybakina, who is also aiming to secure her second major title. Despite the difference in their current rankings, the world No. 10 has spoken highly of her former colleague.
“We played once a long time ago, and I think now she’s playing really well,” said Kazakhstan-born Rybakina earlier this week, referring to Raducanu’s unexpected victory in the Big Apple four years ago. “She knows this place better than anyone else.”