Four years after her fairy-tale US Open triumph, Emma Raducanu looks ready to write another fierce chapter in Flushing Meadows. With a 58% win rate on hard courts, her resurgence felt inevitable, especially after grinding out a determined first-round win against Marta Kostyuk. But her latest triumph sent shockwaves through the tour as she toppled Naomi Osaka in their long-awaited WTA showdown. Fueled by grit and fire, Raducanu didn’t just win, she conquered. And now, riding that surge of momentum, she’s finally let slip the secret weapon that powered her breakthrough performance under the Washington lights. The comeback arc is gaining rhythm.

Speaking on the Tennis Channel post-match analysis, Emma Raducanu didn’t hold back when asked about her impressive second serve stats. “Yeah, I was very pleased,” she admitted with a confident grin. “I think I managed my service games very well. I knew playing Naomi, you know she has a massive serve, so I need to do my best to try to hang in my service game and I think I did a really good job at that.” She didn’t just survive, she took control. “I knew all my second serves, I need to be more aggressive because I would have flowed them in, you know, she’s gonna crack them, so, yeah, really pleased,” she added.

When told she had racked up a 60% win rate on her second serve against a powerhouse like Osaka, Raducanu made it clear that precision and intention carried the day. “I knew, I had to go for my second serves,” she said. “As I said, she has a really strong return and her game, you know, to try to dictate as early on as a rally as possible, and here in the condition is really difficult to turn points around, because it’s so fast and lively.” She doubled down on trust in her own firepower. “So I did intentionally go for my second serve a bit more and I really pleased how I managed my service games and I also backed my self in returning, you know, just a sneak to break in, so yeah, really pleased how I did that.”

Raducanu also broke down how she turned baseline exchanges into battlegrounds she could dominate. “Yeah, big time,” she said. “I mean you know, I connected with a few good returns and you know, these courts are also a bit high bouncing. So your court position crops back, it will be difficult you know, with my height to at least to read the ball.” Her solution? Attack the ball early, steal time, and steal momentum. “So I knew, I had to take the ball early and dictate player as early as possible in a rally, cause if not, she would,” she explained.

Emma Raducanu wasted no time stamping her authority in the opening set, converting her only break point in the fifth game and wrapping it up in just 38 minutes. She returned in the second set with the same fire, breaking Naomi Osaka right away and saving a critical break point in the fourth game. By the time she broke again for a 4-1 lead, her grip on the match tightened.

Osaka, fighting to stay in it, pushed Raducanu deep in the seventh game. The Brit couldn’t close on her first two match points, even had to save a break point. But Raducanu held her nerve, crushing it on the third attempt to seal the deal 6-2 in the second set.

And while the tactics paid off, Raducanu didn’t hold back in praising her rival. Moments after winning, Emma Raducanu lauded her formidable opponent, Naomi Osaka.

Emma Raducanu applauds dangerous Naomi Osaka post-victory

Emma Raducanu’s latest triumph on the hard courts of Washington is more than just a quarterfinal ticket; it’s a resounding statement. With a clinical takedown of four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, the 22-year-old Brit sealed her return to the top of British tennis. In their first-ever meeting, the anticipated clash never quite caught fire, as Raducanu confidently powered through to a straight-sets win and announced her intent to climb back into the spotlight before the US Open.

After the Osaka win, Raducanu took a moment to give credit where it’s due. “Naomi—you know—she’s won four slams, she’s been world No. 1, and she’s won masters, and she is so dangerous,” Raducanu said. “On the hard courts, I think she’s particularly comfortable, so I knew that I would have to play very well and manage my own service games, which I’m proud of how I did.”

And while Osaka had dropped a cheeky dig at her when she said, “I won my second slam after I won my first slam,” Osaka wished her rival the best. “ just hope she has a lot of really good people around her. I think there must be a lot of pressure from—I don’t know how British media is—but they don’t really seem the kindest. I think she’s navigating it really well.”

The victory ensures Raducanu will once again overtake Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal to reclaim the British No. 1 crown. While she briefly ended Boulter’s reign in June, a narrow Wimbledon defeat to Aryna Sabalenka knocked her back down the rankings. Now, with two solid wins under her belt in D.C., Raducanu is projected to break back into the top 40. Meanwhile, Boulter’s early exit to Maria Sakkari means the reshuffle at the top is inevitable.

Interestingly, it’s Sakkari whom Raducanu faces next. The Greek star is a formidable quarterfinal opponent, but Raducanu has history on her side, having won all three prior matches against her in straight sets. Still, with momentum surging and rankings on the line, this matchup promises a firestorm of intensity and shot-making finesse.

Now, as the Citi Open heats up, the question burns: can Raducanu topple the Greek again and storm her way into the semifinals? What do you think?