Emma Raducanu continued her impressive run at the Washington Open, defeating Naomi Osaka in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals of the women’s singles. In a dominant display against the four-time Grand Slam champion, Raducanu prevailed 6-4, 6-2 to set up a last-eight showdown with wildcard entrant Maria Sakkari.
The 22-year-old Brit had already made headlines in the opening round with an upset victory over seventh seed Marta Kostyuk, and her form showed no signs of faltering against Osaka. Raducanu took control of the match early, converting the only break point of the first set in the fifth game. She carried that momentum into the second set, breaking Osaka immediately and then again to establish a commanding 4-1 lead.
Osaka, the former world number one, struggled to match Raducanu’s consistency from the baseline and couldn’t capitalize on the limited chances she had to break back. Though Raducanu missed two match points while Osaka served to stay in the match, the Brit sealed victory on her third opportunity after a testing seventh game.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Raducanu expressed her satisfaction with her performance:
“I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi’s won four slams, she’s been world number one. She’s so dangerous, especially on hard courts. I knew I had to serve well and handle the ball speed here in DC, and I’m really pleased with how I managed the conditions.”
Raducanu’s success in Washington isn’t limited to singles. She also advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles alongside Elena Rybakina. The pair defeated Giuliana Olmos and Aldila Sutjiadi 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 and will now face second seeds Shuai Zhang and Taylor Townsend in the next round.
Elsewhere in the tournament, 45-year-old Venus Williams, who had enjoyed a historic win earlier in the week, exited the competition after a straight-set loss to fifth seed Magdalena Frech. Williams, who entered the tournament as a wildcard and had not played since March, made headlines by defeating Peyton Stearns in the first round — becoming the second oldest woman to win a WTA Tour-level match since Martina Navratilova in 2004.
Against Frech, however, Williams struggled to find her rhythm and was beaten 6-2, 6-2 in just over an hour. Despite the loss, the seven-time Grand Slam champion was upbeat about her performance and return to the court.
Williams is expected to continue her comeback at the Cincinnati Open next month after receiving another wildcard entry.
In the men’s singles, it was a disappointing day for the British contingent. Cameron Norrie fell to American Brandon Nakashima 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, failing to maintain his recent winning record against the 14th seed. Dan Evans, the 2023 champion, also exited after a hard-fought encounter with France’s Corentin Moutet. Evans rallied from a break down and saved a match point in the second set but ultimately lost 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
As the tournament heads into the latter stages, Raducanu remains one of the standout stories in Washington. With her game steadily improving and confidence growing, she looks poised to make a serious run — both in singles and doubles — in the US capital.