For a few fleeting moments late on Friday, as 15,000 spectators collectively lost their minds, something special was unfolding under the Centre Court roof. Not only was Emma Raducanu holding her own against Aryna Sabalenka, she was soaring. More than an hour into one of the most intense matches she has played, Raducanu arrived at set point against the best player in the world.
However, Sabalenka, the world No 1, has long grown accustomed to the massive target on her back, which so often spurs her challengers to perform far above their usual levels. In the face of another grand slam champion playing some of her best tennis, Sabalenka elevated her own game to even greater heights in the decisive moments, crushing Raducanu’s hopes of a career-best victory by triumphing 7-6 (6), 6-4 to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon.
After failing to convert so many chances on such a significant occasion, Raducanu was understandably emotional afterwards. She held a set point in the opening set before holding a break point for a 5-1 lead in set two. But every time she tried to pull away, Sabalenka raised her level and re-established control.
“It does give me confidence because I think the problem before was that I felt like I was gulfs away from the very top,” said Raducanu. “Having a match like that where I had chances in both sets, it does give me confidence. At the same time, it’s very difficult to take right now.”
Most of Raducanu’s previous career meetings against the best players in the world had ended in disappointing, one-sided blowouts that exposed her lack of firepower. Here, on grass, a surface that provides her game with more potency, Raducanu rose to the occasion spectacularly at the urging of a thunderous crowd, demonstrating the full capabilities of her well-rounded game, particularly her improved serve, forehand and defensive skills as she pushed Sabalenka for two hours.
“I cannot predict anything, but I am definitely sure that, maybe not in a month, but maybe a bit longer period, but she is definitely going to get back into the top 10,” said Sabalenka. “She’s fighting. She’s playing much better. She’s more consistent. I can see that mentally she’s healthy. I think that’s really important. Yeah, I’m pretty sure she’s getting there.”
Raducanu set the tone from the beginning by imposing maximum pressure on her opponent with her forehand aggression, excellent serving and her ability to soak up and deflect Sabalenka’s pace. After losing her early break, Raducanu made an incredible last stand on her serve at 4-5, saving seven set points almost entirely with brilliant serving before closing out an astounding hold. With the momentum behind her, Raducanu broke serve to establish a 6-5 lead. But Sabalenka fought back to retrieve the break and force a first set tie-break.
At the end of the tie-break, with the crowd’s deafening roars punctuating every winning shot, Raducanu’s brilliant serving and retrieval skills earned her a set point at 6-5. Instead, Sabalenka showed her evolving game and her resilience to turn the set around. After saving Raducanu’s only set point with a delicate drop shot, she swept forward to the net on her eighth set point and closed out an unforgettable 74-minute first set with a drop-volley winner.
At the end of such an intense, high quality yet fruitless set of tennis, it would have been reasonable for Raducanu’s intensity to drop. Instead, she kept on going and she soon held a break point for a 5-1 second-set lead. As soon as Raducanu betrayed her nerves, sending an aggressive forehand long on the break point, the world No 1 reeled off the final five games of the match to close out a supreme win.
Just a few weeks after losing control of her emotions during and after her loss to Coco Gauff in the Roland Garros final, this was also a significant moment for Sabalenka as she maintained her composure in the decisive moments. Her candidacy for a first Wimbledon title has only been strengthened by the mental fortitude she showed in front of a hostile crowd.
“Sometimes my ears were, like, really blocked from how loud it was, but I really enjoyed it,” said Sabalenka, smiling. “I was trying to trick my brain, and I was pretending that people were cheering for me. Sometimes when they were screaming ‘Emma’, it sounded like ‘Aryna’.”
Even in defeat, this performance represents a significant step forward for Raducanu after an extremely difficult four years. Her level is a reflection of her consistent daily work she has put together over the past few months and the clear progress she has made with her game. She has shown that she is capable of making life difficult for the best players in the world. The next step is beating them.
“First thing I did, I had a KitKat in the changing rooms,” said Raducanu. “Then, I don’t know, I’ll probably find it tough to sleep tonight, or I’ll be so exhausted and crash, but I don’t know. It’s going to take me a few days to process that. But at the same time it really motivates me.”
