US OPEN

August 27, 2025

Emma Raducanu

Press Conference

E. RADUCANU/J. Tjen

6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Felt like that could be a potential banana skin, but you made light work of it. Wondering what were you particularly happy with out there?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I'm particularly happy, because on the court, I felt like my opponent was playing really good tennis. I thought that she was very dangerous and any ball that I put midcourt was going to be punished.

So I'm very pleased with how I kept dictating the points, I kept dictating the play, and didn't let her too often get her front foot on the court. She's obviously been play very well, done a lot of winning, and took out Veronika in the first round.

Of course I was on full alert playing today. Yeah, I'm just very pleased with that performance.

Q. How would you describe your serving? From the side, it looked fantastic, effortless.

EMMA RADUCANU: I'll take your words for it, then, "fantastic" (smiling). No, I thought that I served very well, and yeah, I put quite a few aces on the board today. It always helps me when I'm serving well. It just kind of seeps into the rest of my game.

I think that today I was able to have a good serving day, so I'm very pleased with that.

Q. Obviously a great performance, but it looked to me like at times in the second set you were kind of feeling towards your back a little bit. Are there any concerns at all there?

EMMA RADUCANU: I just had a little bit of stiffness in the second set. I think I have been doing a lot of training, and I'm just happy it didn't affect me too much in the second set and I was still able to compete and to perform well and keep putting out good serves, good returns.

I think it didn't really come into the match too much, which I'm happy with.

Q. Obviously you've played two matches now, but you've only played just over two hours of tennis. Do you feel like you're in great form? How much time do you have to spend on the practice court to up that time as well?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I have been practicing a lot. After my last match I went onto the courts for another hour, and then two hours the first day off and just an hour yesterday. I think I have done a lot, as well, leading into this.

So I think that from now on, I'm just going to focus on staying sharp and still practicing when I need to, but I don't think I'll practice again today and just focus on recovery and preparing for the next round, because it's going to be a really difficult match regardless.

Q. You mentioned the next round. Could be Rybakina. You spoke early this summer about how you felt like you've been good at hustling, but maybe when you play that kind of competition that's another test. Do you want to play someone like that and see now where you're at?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I do. I think she's a top opponent. She's won Wimbledon. She's been at the top of the game for so long and very dominant and has big weapons, has a huge serve and big groundstrokes. So I do want to see how my game suits and fits against the top.

I still think I have a long way to go, but I think I have been making steps towards getting closer and narrowing that gap. I think I have to take confidence from my matches against Aryna in Cincy and Wimby.

But Elena is a different opponent. She beat Aryna in Cincy in straight sets. It's going to be a tough match if she wins today. But yeah, we'll see on the result.

Q. You mentioned about going back on the practice court after your first-round win. What was the thinking behind that? Why have you wanted to spend so much time on the practice court?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I saw Fran Jones on the court and just felt I had to go spend some time with her, so that was the main reason (smiling).

But no, I think that after the first round I felt like there were just a few things I could do better, I could keep and maintain, because maintaining is another thing. I think I'm playing pretty well, but to kind of keep that level it takes a lot of work, as well.

That was probably the thinking behind it, and also the fact I had two days off, it definitely added and I had a lot of time to freshen up before today's match.

I think all the practice I have been doing, it's been helping to get me to a certain level, and I want to keep doing it when it suits and when it fits and when it's the right time.

Q. You're back in red for this year's US Open, reminiscent of your victory here. Is that by choice, or does it bring memories for you?

EMMA RADUCANU: Well, I mean, I'm in red, but it wasn't by choice, no. It just happened to be the color of the tournament. Quite a lot of other brands are also in red, but of course a love wearing red in general.

I don't know. I think it's a decent color for me (smiling).

Q. As someone who has dealt with injury in the past, I'm curious what you have learned about prevention, staying healthy, that's allowed you to maintain a level of intensity on the court while still staying fit?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think doing the right things off court, preparing well, warming up, doing all the professional things, I have been better at that. I have also put a lot more load through my body, so when I'm playing these tough matches, I don't think my body is as shocked because I'm doing probably more on the practice court.

So I think just weeks and months of doing that and accumulating the kind of load has helped me kind of stay, for the most part, injury-free.

Q. What was your reaction when you saw Carlos' haircut, and what do you think of it now?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think he owns it. I think he pulls it off. I think he's just taking it, and if you own a haircut like that, then it can work.

I think, you know, mixed field, but whatever he does, it's not going to affect what he does on the court. I'm just happy to see him having fun with whatever.