Emma Raducanu has expressed her excitement for the upcoming match against the world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, as they gear up to battle in the third round of the Cincinnati Open.
Talking about the Monday play, August 11, Emma noted, "It's always exciting for a player like me to play the very top, because it’s like a fact-finding match."
Explaining, the 22-year-old added, "You see where you are in comparison to the top. I also think form fluctuates so much on the day. You can lose two and one [6-2, 6-1] one day, you can win or you can make it close the next day, and it can be down to a few points. So I'm excited."
The upcoming game will be Emma's first significant match since starting work with her new coach, Francisco Roig, last week in Cincinnati.
Last month, she gave her all while playing against the top player at Wimbledon in two tight sets. After serving for the first set and then later holding a set point against the Belarusian, Emma led 4-1 in the second set before losing 7-6 (6), 6-4.
"She played incredible tennis," Aryna said of the British player after her straight-sets win against Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday night.
The world No. 1 added, "I'm super happy to see her mentally and physically back, and definitely gonna be back in the top 10 very soon. She challenged me that much, and I like to accept tough challenges, so I'm super excited about facing her on the hard court."
Emma Raducanu has been enjoying a positive run of form in recent months while training and competing consistently on the tour ahead of the US open, which is set to begin on August 24.
