Emma Raducanu clears mental hurdle with first US Open win since 2021 fairytale

Emma Raducanu admitted her winless run in New York had been weighing on her mind after finally claiming her first victory since lifting the trophy four years ago.

The British number one opened the tournament on Louis Armstrong Stadium in the event’s first Sunday start and needed just 62 minutes to sweep aside Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara 6-1 6-2.

While Flushing Meadows was the scene of Raducanu’s great triumph, it has not been a place of happy memories since.

Three years ago as defending champion, she looked anxious and unhappy in a first-round loss to Alize Cornet before missing the 2023 tournament following wrist and ankle surgeries.

Last year she arrived undercooked after an injury niggle that she kept private and was in tears following another first-round defeat, this time to American Sofia Kenin.

So it was no surprise she greeted this victory with a mixture of delight and relief, saying: “I’m very pleased to have come through that match. First rounds are very challenging always, the nerves, and I think I had a little bit of the added I wanted to win a match here really bad.

“It has been on my mind. It’s been four years, and it’s a very special tournament for me. I did feel different coming into it this year. I felt like I was doing the right things day to day, but still, it’s in the back of your head. So I’m just very pleased to have overcome that.”

This has been the season where Raducanu has finally put down roots on tour, avoiding the physical problems that have held her back and producing consistently strong results.

She only missed out on a seeding by one place and quickly stamped her authority on proceedings against 128th-ranked Shibahara, who at 27 was playing in just her second main draw in singles at a major.

The gusty conditions made it difficult for both women but Raducanu was much the steadier, beginning the contest with an ace and moving into a 5-0 lead.

The 22-year-old has a new coach in her corner in experienced Spaniard Francisco Roig, who worked with Rafael Nadal for two decades, and she spoke before the tournament about the calming influence he exerts.

There was certainly no reason for any stress here, with Raducanu serving out the opening set after Shibahara had finally won a game and then moving 4-0 ahead again in the second.

Shibahara had one chance to pull the lead back to 4-2 but Raducanu impressively picked up a short volley, pumping her fist and yelling when her opponent netted a backhand, and she served out the contest to love.

Raducanu will not play again until Wednesday, with the first round spread across three days, and she admitted the scheduling added to the tension she felt ahead of the contest.

“I was nervous this morning after practice,” she said. “There’s not much time playing first on. You’re kind of rushing to do things. I was nervous in practice.

“Afterwards, after I came out of the shower, I felt like I kind of just got into the zone, got my match kit on, and that, for me, is a shift of, ‘OK, you’re going to get ready, lock in now’.

Also in Raducanu’s box, as he had been at Wimbledon, was Jerome Poupel, a French chiropractor who also works with Formula One drivers, jockeys and even racehorses.

Raducanu turned to Poupel after struggling with back problems, and she said: “He’s helped a lot. I’ve had back issues for the past few months. Nothing I seemed to have tried really worked but he’s really helped me with that and it’s feeling a lot better for the most part.”