"It's a fact-finding match" - Emma Raducanu shares 'reasonable' take on facing Aryna Sabalenka at Cincinnati Open; Belarusian also weighs in

Emma Raducanu and Aryna Sabalenka are set to take on each other in their round of 32 clash at the Cincinnati Open. As the duo gear up for the match, the Brit recently shared her ‘reasonable take’ about going up against the World No.1.

Raducanu and Sabalenka have faced each other multiple times on the WTA Tour. Their most recent encounter came at the Wimbledon Championships. Playing on home ground, Raducanu put up a brave fight but eventually went down 6(6)-7, 4-6 after a lengthy battle.

Now, Emma Raducanu and Aryna Sabalenka are scheduled for a rematch in Cincinnati. Ahead of this upcoming clash, the former US Open champion shared her honest thoughts about playing Sabalenka, telling media,

“It’s like a fact-finding match, so you can see where you are in comparison to the top. I also think form fluctuates so much on the day, so you can lose 2&1 one day, and you could make it close the next day. It can be down to a few points. I’m excited either way. Aryna is world No. 1, so it’ll be an exciting match and a good experience.”

She went on to add that Sabalenk would be a tougher opponent on hard courts, saying,

“I would say I thought, ‘I would love to have another crack at that, on grass, tomorrow. But I know and I’m honestly reasonable enough and honest enough with myself to know that different surfaces favor different people and where my game is at in comparison. I think the grass gave me a bit of an advantage, but we’ll see how it goes [on hard courts].”

For her part, Aryna Sabalenka expressed that she was looking forward to the challenge of playing Raducanu, saying,

“She challenged me in that match and I like to accept tough challenges, so I’m super excited facing her on a hard court.”

At the Cincinnati Open, Raducanu and Sabalenka are scheduled to take on each other on Monday, August 11. The duo will be the second match on Center Court, with play beginning at 11 AM.

Emma Raducanu vs Aryna Sabalenka: head-to-head record

Raducanu in action at the Cincinnati Open 2025 (Image Source: Getty)

Over the course of their careers, Emma Raducanu and Aryna Sabalenka have faced each other only twice. The first time they met was at the 2024 Indian Wells Open. Sabalenka was a favorite for the win then and had delivered on expectations, edging out a 6-3, 7-5 win after an interesting fight.

The next time the duo met was at the Wimbledon Championships, where the Belarusian pulled off yet another straight games win over her British counterpart.

Ahead of their impending clash at the Cincinnati Open, both Emma Raducanu and Aryna Sabalenka have claimed strong wins in their opening rounds at the event. The former beat the Olga Danilovic with ease, while the latter meted out a similar treatment to Marketa Vondroušová.