Emma Raducanu made a confident return to the US Open stage on Sunday, defeating Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara 6-1 6-2 in just 62 minutes to claim her first win at Flushing Meadows since her remarkable 2021 title run.
Scheduled to play the opening match of the tournament on the new Sunday start, Raducanu admitted the timing added a layer of pressure.
“When I saw the Sunday schedule, I thought first day, first match at 11am – you don’t want to be out of the tournament by 12:30pm on a Sunday,” she told BBC Sport. “That definitely was on my mind. At the same time, if it goes well you get the afternoon off, which is really nice before your day off in between matches. I’m pleased I can enjoy the rest of my day and celebrate the win.”
The British number one, ranked 35th in the world, produced the quickest Grand Slam main-draw win of her career and will return to action on Wednesday to face Indonesian qualifier Janice Tjen.
After her early victory, Raducanu was back on the practice courts by 2pm for a relaxed hitting session with new coach Francisco Roig, who joined her team earlier this month. Roig focused the brief session on forehand returns from the baseline.
Though Roig has quickly become a vocal presence in her courtside box, Raducanu said that in the match environment, his words do not always register clearly.
“You don’t really hear it unless you’re kind of lip-reading,” she said. “I probably don’t take in much of what he’s saying, but when I feel like I really need it, I will go over. For the most part, especially when you’re in a match like today, I felt like I had most things under control on my side of the court.”
Despite their short time working together, Raducanu and Roig have already formed a strong rapport, strengthened by car journeys during the recent Cincinnati Open, where Roig took the wheel and began teaching her Spanish.
“If anyone asks if I can say something in Spanish, I just bosh out some verb conjugations,” she joked. “It’s not exactly the best conversation starter but I’m getting there.”
Another new addition to Raducanu’s team is chiropractor Jerome Poupel, a Frenchman based in London with an eclectic CV. He has previously worked with former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard and jockey AP McCoy, as well as treating horses.
“I don’t really know what he does with horses – I don’t ask questions! It just seems to work on them,” Raducanu said with a laugh. “I am a horse on my horoscope so I don’t know if that has any correlation.”