Aryna Sabalenka dug deep to keep her Cincinnati Open title defense alive, surviving a three-hour, 12-minute battle against a fearless Emma Raducanu. The World No.1 edged the Brit 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(5) in what has already been dubbed the match of the tournament, booking a Round of 16 clash with Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
First-set comeback sets the tone
Raducanu came out flying, winning the first nine points and racing to a 2-0 lead as Sabalenka struggled to find her range. The defending champion responded in kind, rattling off four straight games to wrest back control. Both players traded breaks twice in a tense opener, but Sabalenka’s clean hitting in the tie-break proved decisive, giving her the set 7-6(3). Sabalenka’s dominance on second-serve returns, winning 73% of those points, proved decisive in flipping the momentum and matching Raducanu game for game, setting the tone for the battle ahead.
Sabalenka vs Raducanu – Set 1 Stats
| Statistic | Sabalenka | Raducanu |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.15 | 0.87 |
| Serve Rating | 251 | 229 |
| Aces | 4 | 2 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 5 |
| 1st Serve % | 69% (24/35) | 64% (27/42) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 75% (18/24) | 74% (20/27) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 36% (4/11) | 27% (4/15) |
| Break Points Saved | 33% (1/3) | 50% (2/4) |
| Service Games | 67% (4/6) | 67% (4/6) |
| Ace % | 11.4% | 4.8% |
| Double Fault % | 0% | 11.9% |
| Return Rating | 182 | 189 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 26% (7/27) | 25% (6/24) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 73% (11/15) | 64% (7/11) |
| Break Points Won | 50% (2/4) | 67% (2/3) |
| Return Games | 33% (2/6) | 33% (2/6) |
| Pressure Points | 43% (3/7) | 57% (4/7) |
| Service Points | 63% (22/35) | 57% (24/42) |
| Return Points | 43% (18/42) | 37% (13/35) |
| Total Points | 52% (40/77) | 48% (37/77) |
| Max Points In A Row | 6 | 9 |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Service Games Won % | 67% (4/6) | 67% (4/6) |
| Return Games Won % | 33% (2/6) | 33% (2/6) |
| Total Games Won % | 50% (6/12) | 50% (6/12) |
| Max Games In A Row | 4 | 3 |
| Set 1 Duration | 0h 56m | |
Raducanu answers back to level the match
The second set was tighter, with neither player earning a break until 3-3. Raducanu seized her chance in the seventh game, capitalizing on Sabalenka’s rare lapse to break.
In fact, Raducanu took control of the second set with a dominant serving display, landing an exceptional 82% of first serves and holding every service game. Sabalenka’s return struggles, winning just 29% of return points, left her unable to create break chances, while Raducanu capitalized on her lone opportunity to break, swinging the set firmly in her favor.
The first set Raducanu ever won against Sabalenka. She was on fire.
Sabalenka vs Raducanu – Set 2 Stats
| Statistic | Sabalenka | Raducanu |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.78 | 1.28 |
| Serve Rating | 255 | 307 |
| Aces | 1 | 2 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 47% (14/30) | 82% (23/28) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 71% (10/14) | 74% (17/23) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 56% (9/16) | 50% (2/4) |
| Break Points Saved | 67% (2/3) | – (0/0) |
| Service Games | 80% (4/5) | 100% (5/5) |
| Ace % | 3.3% | 7.1% |
| Double Fault % | 0% | 3.6% |
| Return Rating | 76 | 126 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 26% (6/23) | 29% (4/14) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 50% (2/4) | 44% (7/16) |
| Break Points Won | – (0/0) | 33% (1/3) |
| Return Games | 0% (0/5) | 20% (1/5) |
| Pressure Points | 67% (2/3) | 33% (1/3) |
| Service Points | 63% (19/30) | 71% (20/28) |
| Return Points | 29% (8/28) | 37% (11/30) |
| Total Points | 47% (27/58) | 53% (31/58) |
| Max Points In A Row | 5 | 4 |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Service Games Won % | 80% (4/5) | 100% (5/5) |
| Return Games Won % | 0% (0/5) | 20% (1/5) |
| Total Games Won % | 40% (4/10) | 60% (6/10) |
| Max Games In A Row | 1 | 3 |
| Set 2 Duration | 0h 45m | |
Tie-break tension seals Sabalenka’s escape
The decider was a nerve-shredder. Set 3 was a serving clinic from both players, with neither giving up a break across 12 tense games in a marathon 91-minute decider. Games went on serve until 4-3 Sabalenka, when the pair played a 32-point marathon game that saw Raducanu fend off four break points before leveling at 4-4.
Raducanu fired six aces to Sabalenka’s three and saved all four break points she faced, showing nerves of steel under pressure. Sabalenka edged the dominance ratio at 1.10 to 0.91 and won a slightly higher percentage of first-serve points, but Raducanu countered with stronger second-serve numbers and an 80% success rate on key pressure points. In the end, the set came down to razor-thin margins, with just two points separating them before the final tiebreak tilt.
The match fittingly came down to that second tie-break, where Sabalenka edged ahead with a crucial mini-break and held her nerve to seal victory 7-6(5) on an ace.
It was a touching moment at the net. After such an intense battle, the two locked eyes before the handshake and broke into smiles, each fully aware they’d just shared a truly outstanding match of tennis. And they had.
Sabalenka vs Raducanu – Set 3 Stats
| Statistic | Sabalenka | Raducanu |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.10 | 0.91 |
| Serve Rating | 289 | 288 |
| Aces | 3 | 6 |
| Double Faults | 3 | 3 |
| 1st Serve % | 56% (27/48) | 55% (35/64) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 85% (23/27) | 77% (27/35) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 48% (10/21) | 53% (16/30) |
| Break Points Saved | 100% (1/1) | 100% (4/4) |
| Service Games | 100% (6/6) | 100% (6/6) |
| Ace % | 6.3% | 9.4% |
| Double Fault % | 6.3% | 4.7% |
| Return Rating | 70 | 67 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 23% (8/35) | 15% (4/27) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 47% (14/30) | 52% (11/21) |
| Break Points Won | 0% (0/4) | 0% (0/1) |
| Return Games | 0% (0/6) | 0% (0/6) |
| Pressure Points | 20% (1/5) | 80% (4/5) |
| Service Points | 69% (33/48) | 66% (42/64) |
| Return Points | 34% (22/64) | 31% (15/48) |
| Total Points | 49% (55/112) | 51% (57/112) |
| Max Points In A Row | 5 | 4 |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 1 |
| Service Games Won % | 100% (6/6) | 100% (6/6) |
| Return Games Won % | 0% (0/6) | 0% (0/6) |
| Total Games Won % | 50% (6/12) | 50% (6/12) |
| Max Games In A Row | 1 | 1 |
| Set 3 Duration | 1h 31m! | |
Next up for Sabalenka is Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, fresh off a commanding win over Taylor Townsend and still riding high after her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal run in Canada last week.
Raducanu Finds Belief Against a Familiar Foe
What had twice before been a nightmare matchup for Emma Raducanu against Aryna Sabalenka turned into a statement performance in Cincinnati. Matching the World No.1 blow for blow, Raducanu showed poise, power, and tactical clarity in a battle that proved she belongs in the sport’s biggest conversations again. If she carries this level into New York and lands a semi-favorable draw, she’ll be firmly in the mix among the US Open favorites.