Emma Raducanu starts our open 2025 on a high note with a dominant victory over Ena Shibahara

Raducanu scored a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Shibahara. Emma Raducanu responds after beating Ena Shibahara during the first round of the US Open. (Ht_print) Emma Raducanu started her 2025 US Open campaign on a high note, with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Japanese qualifying Ena Shibahara in just 62 minutes at Louis Armstrong Stadium. The British Number 1, who returned to the title of 2021 for the first time since her historic victory of 2021, showed her skill and calm under the guidance of her new coach, Francisco Roig, who previously worked with Rafael Nadal for two decades. Emma Raducanu’s dominant performance Raducanu wasted no time for her dominance against the world no. 128 to effect Shibahara. The match, which lasted just over an hour, showed the 2021 champion a mix of precision, strength and skills. Her ability to control rallies and to utilize Shibahara’s mistakes was clear when she went to a first set of 6-1. The second set follows a similar pattern, with Raducanu retaining her focus to secure a 6-2 win, which was her first win on Flushing Meadows since her fairy tale victory four years ago. Raducanu reflected on her actions and expressed: ‘Of course I am very, very pleased with the game. This has been my first win here since 2021. I am just as happy with the way I got through it. I’m just very pleased with how I managed myself, drove my game through the game. ‘ Details of the new team of Emma Raducanu’s revival are coming on the back of changes to her coaching setup, with Francisco Roig brought experience from his time with Nadal. The 22-year-old man credited her team for their support and said, “I’m very happy. I have incredible people in my corner there. I want to thank them.” When she looks forward, Emma Raducanu’s strong starts up for a second round, possibly against Veronika Kudermetova, as she continues with her search for the US Open crown. With top seeds such as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and Coco GAFF also in the coming days, the 2025 US opening promises exciting matches and possible exposition. Raducanu’s actions on day 1 serve as a reminder of her tremendous talent and potential to shine on the greatest stage.