Raducanu shows how she can close the gap on the tennis big guns

Emma Raducanu has spent four years countering the unfair but persistent suggestion that she was a lucky winner. In defeat, perhaps she has finally silenced the doubters.

Raducanu has not had much to smile about since her US Open triumph four years ago, when she became the first player in the Open era to come through qualifying to win a major title. However, after some reflection and perspective, she may come to consider her 7-6 6-4 loss to top seed Aryna Sabalenka in a Wimbledon thriller her greatest 'victory' since that improbable night at Flushing Meadows.

There is a good chance no one will push Sabalenka harder in her pursuit of a fourth Grand Slam title in the coming days. Many players wilt under the Belarusian’s power, but not Raducanu. Her tactics were finely tuned and, almost, spot on.

This was a match of narrow margins, small sliding-door moments deciding who would advance to the last 16. The British No 1 will reflect on her missed opportunities: a set point in the opener that went begging and a break point when she led 4–1 in the second.

Raducanu had arrived at the All England Club managing expectations. She cruised through her first-round match against fellow Briton Mimi Xu, then beat former champion Markéta Vondroušová in straight sets, dropping just 12 games across both matches.

There were fears that Sabalenka, who had beaten Raducanu convincingly in their only previous encounter, would overpower her again. Her last outing against a top-five player, Iga Świątek in Paris, had lasted barely an hour and was a difficult watch even for her most devoted fans.

Sabalenka’s game is about more than brute force — she closed out the match with the deftest of drop shots — but her power remains the cornerstone of her success. Her fastest serve reached 121mph, and she outperformed Raducanu in both first and second serve statistics, a margin that ultimately proved decisive.

"The positives are that I was toe to toe with her," Raducanu said.

"It gives me confidence that I'm not as far away as I perhaps thought before the tournament, but at the same time, it's very difficult to take right now.

"I'd felt like I was gulfs away from the very top players, but having a match like that, where I had chances in both sets, it does give me more belief. Previously, when I was playing these top-five players, the loss was pretty convincing.

"I actually went into this match feeling more confident, but I think there's a clear difference in the first serve. I think that's something I need to improve.

"I'm always quite critical — I didn't execute all the time — but I think I returned really well, considering she's got one of the best serves in the game.

"I think when I look back at my career, I'm really going to remember that match, because you play for those moments.

"I don't think I've really had a loss like this in a long time, where I feel like I maybe had chances and didn't take them. I think usually I'm pretty good at converting."

Since that breakthrough in New York, Raducanu’s struggles with her coaching setup have been well chronicled. Six permanent coaches have come and gone for various reasons. She appears to have benefitted from the presence of Mark Petchey and Nick Cavaday, long-time figures in her development via the Lawn Tennis Association.

Home tournaments bring added pressure, but Wimbledon is a place where Raducanu can also draw strength from a wider network of family and friends.

"Mark agreed to help me until the end of Wimbledon, and then we’ll see from there because he gave up some work to be here with me, which I really appreciate," she added. "That's a conversation we need to have after a few days when the dust settles a bit, because it is going to take me some time to process this.

"I want to get straight back to work because it’s not far. There are still a lot of things I want to improve, a lot of things I want to do better to solidify my game so that in big moments I can back myself a bit more."

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