Emma Raducanu’s US Open run ended by ruthless Elena Rybakina

Emma Raducanu’s US Open campaign came to a brutal end in the third round at the hands of former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.

Raducanu had breezed through to the third round, winning her first two matches for the loss of only six games, but here she was on the receiving end as Rybakina powered to a 6-1 6-2 victory in just 62 minutes.

Rybakina may only be seeded ninth but everyone on the women’s tour knows she is virtually unstoppable when on her game, with the Kazakh having beaten world number one Aryna Sabalenka in her last tournament in Cincinnati for the loss of just five games.

Elena Rybakina storms into the second week! pic.twitter.com/yCWzY4iCq9

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2025

She has been usurped by Coco Gauff as part of the big three of women’s tennis with Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek after a difficult year, with her long-time coach Stefano Vukov having been suspended following allegations of mistreatment against her.

Rybakina has stood staunchly by Vukov and his suspension was lifted earlier this month, allowing him to return to her team at tournaments.

Raducanu is friendly with Rybakina – the pair played doubles together in Washington recently – and the 26-year-old’s strengths would certainly have come as no surprise.

Their only previous meeting in Sydney in 2022 was the joint most one-sided defeat of Raducanu’s career, the then teenager winning just a single game.

Things did not begin more positively here as Rybakina immediately found her groove, rushing Raducanu with her monstrous groundstrokes and quickly moving into a 3-0 lead.

Among Raducanu’s supporters was Vogue editorial director Anna Wintour, and the crowd were right behind her when she got on the board in the fourth game.

But the