Emma Raducanu produced a sensational performance to defeat 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-3 and book a high-stakes third-round clash with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Playing under the lights of Centre Court, the British No. 1 combined power, precision, and variety to outplay the Czech star, who arrived at SW19 fresh off a grass-court title win in Berlin and among the tournament favourites.
Raducanu, 22, showed no signs of nerves as she followed up her first-round victory over fellow Brit Mimi Xu with a composed, tactically astute display, dismantling the 2023 champion in just over an hour.
“I think today I played really, really well,” Raducanu said after the match. “There were some points I have no idea how I turned around. I knew it was going to be an extremely difficult match—she’s a Wimbledon champion, after all—so I’m just proud of how I stayed focused and put my game on the court.” Raducanu stated.
From the outset, Raducanu was aggressive yet measured. A blistering backhand down the line secured her a key break for 4-2 in the first set. Though she briefly dropped serve, Vondrousova’s two double faults helped hand the Brit another break, and Raducanu confidently served out the set.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Raducanu broke early for 2-1 and maintained control with intelligent shot selection and well-timed aggression, especially on her backhand side. Vondrousova, increasingly frustrated, looked to her box for answers but found none.
The match concluded fittingly, with Raducanu holding serve and converting her first match point as Vondrousova sent a backhand wide, sealing a statement victory for the home favourite.
Raducanu will now face her biggest test yet in top seed Aryna Sabalenka—a three-time Grand Slam champion and one of the most dominant players on the WTA Tour who defeated Marie Bouzkova in a thrilling straight-sets.
“I’m just so happy I get to play another match here,” Raducanu said. “Sabalenka is No. 1 in the world, so dominant, she’s literally won everything. There’s no pressure at all on me—I’m just going to enjoy the moment.”
The blockbuster third-round encounter between Raducanu and Sabalenka is scheduled for Friday and is expected to be one of the standout matches of the tournament.