Emma Raducanu handed brutal Cincinnati Open draw in massive blow ahead of US Open

Emma Raducanu could face world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of the Cincinnati Open.

The WTA 1000 event is key warm-up tournament for the US Open, which begins on August 24 and runs until September 7 this year.

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Raducanu will arrive in Cincinnati having reached the semi-finals of the Washington Open and the Canadian Open third round.

She is seeded 30th for the tournament and therefore received a bye into the second round.

The Brit, who currently ranks 33rd in the world, will face either Olga Danilovic or Katie Boulter in her opening match.

However, should she win and advance to the third round, she may be up against the reigning champion Sabalenka.

A straight sets win over Jessica Pegula in the 2024 final delivered her first women’s singles title at the Cincinnati Open.

Sabalenka was knocked out in the semi-finals during the previous two tournaments but made it third time lucky last year.

But before a fourth consecutive third round appearance, she must beat either Marketa Vondrousova or Jaqueline Cristian.

Should Sabalenka and Raducanu both win, they will meet for a third time on the court.

Sabalenka has won both of their previous two matches – in the 2024 Indian Wells third round, and the third round of Wimbledon last month.

Raducanu will make just her second Cincinnati Open appearance this year and her first since 2022.

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The 22-year-old has welcomed a new addition to her team by adding Francis Roig.

He worked with the legendary Rafael Nadal from 2005 until 2022 and was described as the ‘best coach in the world’ by Feliciano Lopez.

With her latest coaching appointment, Raducanu will be eyeing her first Grand Slam title since winning the US Open in 2021.

What is Raducanu’s record at the US Open?

Raducanu made history by becoming the first qualifier to ever win a Grand Slam tournament during the Open Era.

She also won every single set across all seven matches, with the final ending in a 6-4 6-3 victory against Leylah Fernandez.

However, Raducanu hasn’t reached the second round in her following US Open outings.

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In 2022, she became only the third female player in the tournament’s history to lose her opening match as the defending champion.

Raducanu missed the subsequent year through injury before another first round exit in 2024.

Aside from the women’s singles event, Raducanu is also set to play in the mixed doubles this year.

She has partnered with Carlos Alcaraz as a wildcard.