Emma Raducanu chasing British record as impressive stat shows her growing belonging with the elite
Updated 31/07/2025 at 21:18 GMT+1
Emma Raducanu appears to be going from strength to strength, and is chasing down an impressive record held by one of her compatriot predecessors. Raducanu has reclaimed her place as British No. 1, and will be hoping for a lengthy run at the National Bank Open in Montreal this week. She most recently overcame Peyton Stearns in straight sets, having reached the third round at Wimbledon.
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Emma Raducanu appears to have the feel-good factor back again after an impressive year to date.
The 22-year-old is now the British No. 1 once again and began the National Bank Open in Montreal with a comfortable 6-2 6-4 victory over Elena-Gabriela Ruse, following it up with a similarly serene win over Peyton Stearns.
This came hot on the heels of a run to the semi-finals at the DC Open.
Raducanu's win over Ruse took her to an impressive milestone in Canada.
It meant that, of British players, only Johanna Konta (19) had won more WTA 1000 main-draw matches in a single season than Raducanu since the format was introduced in 2009.
Raducanu's win over Ruse was her 10th win at 1000 level this year, and with the Briton taking that number to 11 with her triumph over Stearns, Konta's record - though still some way off - could yet come under threat during the remainder of the US hard-court season, and then the swing in Asia, comprising top-tier events in Beijing and Wuhan.
Speaking after beating her friend Ruse, Raducanu said: "It is always difficult playing someone you are close to, so I am really proud of how I put that to one side and also backed a strong week in DC and performed well today, so just really happy and loved playing here for the first time.
"It is extremely difficult [playing someone you know so well], we have spent a lot of time together off court, practices, and she is a great girl, so it is not nice when you have to see her name in the draw, but I am really pleased with how I performed myself."
Next for Raducanu is a third-round clash against Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova.
This all comes after her fine streak in Washington, where Marta Kostyuk, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and Maria Sakkari were all dispatched.
Anna Kalinskaya ended the Briton's run in the semi-finals, but Raducanu's improved consistency has been an encouraging sign.
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She proved her ability to go toe-to-toe with the very best after battling hard against Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon.
Raducanu lost 7-6(6) 6-4, but incredibly managed to save seven set points in the opener and took a 4-1 lead in the second set.
It has been a remarkable rise back up to the top, with the 22-year-old elevating herself from 165 last summer to the now world No. 33.
A seeded place at the US Open next month is tantalisingly close, with Raducanu now moving closer to the heights she reached in her sole Grand Slam triumph four years ago at Flushing Meadows.
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