Emma Raducano: How the 2025 season has unfolded for Britain’s No. 1 – and what the future could hold

Of Raducano’s 22 defeats, only seven have come to lower-ranked opponents, including three in the past month alone.

But beating the best, who often have more power, has proven beyond her capabilities so far.

She has lost 10 of her 11 matches against top-10 players in 2025, with the exception of a win over Emma Navarro in Miami in March.

She was very competitive against world number one Aryna Sabalenka on Center Court at Wimbledon – taking her to a third-set tiebreak in Cincinnati – but there was little room for cheering elsewhere.

After losing 6-1, 6-2 to ninth seed Elena Rybakina at the US Open, Raducano thought about where she needed to improve to turn things around.

“My serve – it was better, but I think it can get better [still]”, she told BBC Sport.

“The ball is after the serve as well, so I’m ready for a quick response. I think this is where I still have some big work to do.

“I think starting from scratch is very important when you play at this level.”

Raducano has developed an unfortunate habit in Asia of failing to convert match points.

Barbora Krejcikova, last year’s Wimbledon champion, saved three goals against her in Seoul, and then world number five Jessica Pegula did exactly the same in Beijing a week later.

But what was even more troubling was the way Raducano faded in the deciding set of those matches. Against Pegula, Raducanu broke and calmed down quickly.

This was not something you could accuse her of doing over the summer, and it was probably a sign of an exhausted body and mind after nine months of travel.