Emma Raducanu Rolls Over Naomi Osaka in DC Open

Thursday afternoon's action at the Mubadala Citi DC Open was headlined by a clash of two WTA players who have taken unusual, yet historic routes through their professional careers.

During a press conference yesterday, Naomi Osaka bristled at the idea of being compared to Emma Raducanu. Career legacies aside, Raducanu rolled over Osaka in today's second round match: 6-4, 6-2.

Both players were unseeded, but Raducanu had just knocked off seventh-seed Marta Kostyuk on Tuesday. She continued to demonstrate consistent play against the four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka.

Raducanu tallied four aces and one double fault. The top-ranked British tennis star won points on 76% of her first serves and 61% of her second serves, respectively.

Meanwhile, Osaka hit five aces and seven double faults. The Japanese superstar won points on 88% of first serves and 43% of second serves. Raducanu was 3/4 in break point opportunities, while Osaka was 0/2.

Raducanu said in her on-court interview, "I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi, she's won four slams, she's been world number one, won masters, and she's so dangerous, and on the hard courts, I think she's particularly comfortable.

"So I knew I was going to have to play really well and manage my own service games, which I'm really proud of how I did.

"I was kind of making some inroads in her service games after I got used to it a little bit, but I'm really pleased with how I handled the ball speed, and the conditions here in D.C."

Osaka falls to 21-11 and will continue to find her form on hard courts during the North American swing of the WTA schedule.

Meanwhile, Raducanu improves to 20-14 and will face unseeded Maria Sakkari tomorrow in the quarterfinal. The DC Open runs through July 27, 2025.

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