Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu finally faced one another for the first time.
Since both players have been on tour they had yet to cross paths on court, but that changed at the Citi Open in Washington D.C.
Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu battled for a spot in the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 event and it was the British number one who emerged victorious.
The first meeting between two of the most popular players on tour was not the spectacle fans hoped for, but it certainly boosted Raducanu’s confidence heading into her next match.
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka admitted feeling ‘confused’ after losing to Emma Raducanu at the Citi Open
Osaka has experienced some tough defeats in 2025 and she has reached just one final at WTA Tour level.
She is pushing herself to take her game to the next level, but she could not rise to the challenge posed by Raducanu.
Osaka made just 46% of her first serves and won only 43% of her second serves. This gave her a mountain to climb against Raducanu, who converted three of her four break point chances.
After her 4-6, 2-6 defeat, Osaka admitted to having mixed emotions about losing to Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion.
“I think all losses suck a lot. But I don’t know. I’m also a little confused why I’m okay right now compared to, like, other matches in the past,” she told reporters.
“I think it’s because now I kind of have a clear plan on what to do, but I also feel like that’s been a buildup of, like, this year.
“But maybe you’re right, like if I did have a match point and I lost, I would be, like, a completely different attitude right now. But I guess it depends on the tolerance of the player.”
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka says what she needs to work on after Emma Raducanu defeated her in Washington D.C.
Osaka won her opening match in America’s capital city against Yulia Putintseva, but she also struggled on serve during that contest.
She won 88% of her first serve points, but made just 42% of her first serves. She served below 50% against Raducanu, but this time she was punished.
The Brit attacked her second serve relentlessly and Osaka admitted it was an area of her game that needed to be better.
“I just think, you know, obviously my serve could have been better. I think I want to work on things,” the former world number one admitted.
“Obviously today’s not the result I wanted, so hopefully just keep working and I guess having a positive attitude and try to keep moving forward.”
After defeating Osaka, Raducanu has advanced to the quarterfinals where she will take in Maria Sakkari, a player she is undefeated against.
AloJapan.com