Raducanu’s Star Shines Brighter than Osaka’s in DC

By Chris Oddo | Thursday July 24, 2025

What do you get when you pit two of the most popular former Grand Slam champions in recent women’s tennis history against one another? On a muggy Thursday at the Citi Open in Washington, DC, the answer was a lopsided affair.

Emma Raducanu, 2021 US Open champion, toppled four-time major champion Naomi Osaka 6-4 6-2 in a heavily anticipated second-round match. It was also the pair’s first ever meeting.

Raducanu made it look easy as she saved both break points she faced and put the Osaka second-serve under big pressure, winning 19 of 28 points against it as she broke three times from four opportunities to win in 81 minutes.

“I thought that it was pretty mature, and I was holding onto my own service games really well,” Raducanu later said. “I knew going into the match that Naomi has been playing good, loves the hard court. So I was going to have to play well and manage my own service games, because she’s very dangerous, hits a big ball, and serves extremely well. Very pleased with how I managed all the situations there.”

The 22-year-old World No.46 will face Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinals in DC.

In other action, American Taylor Townsend hammered past Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-0.