Two Grand Slam champions will face off in the first round of the 2024 US Open, as Emma Raducanu will battle Sofia Kenin for a chance to play in the second round.
Raducanu made history at this event in 2021 by becoming the first qualifier ever to win the event. It was a magical run that started with a couple of nice performances in the qualifiers that would continue at an even higher level in the main draw.
Since then, the British player has struggled to find that level again. Lack of consistency in matches and recurring physical problems are the main culprits, but she has been able to avoid both of those this year.
There are still big question marks, as she'll arrive in New York with only one preparation event. She played it in Washington and played well, but it has been three weeks since then.
Kenin arrives in New York with a similar history but a vastly different recent one. As a young player, she also won a Grand Slam, but in her case, it happened at the 2020 Australian Open.
Since then, the American has greatly struggled to find that level again. Injuries and general inconsistency are to blame for her problems, with the latter a huge problem this year.
Head-to-head:
The two have never played against each other, and it's not a huge surprise because both spent a lot of time away from the sport due to injuries. Kenin had a solid year in 2023, while Raduacnu spent it away from the courts after triple surgery.
It's been the opposite this year, as Kenin had a bad year overall, while Raducanu has been solid. The Brit won 18 of the 29 matches she played, which is a winning percentage of 62%.
On the other hand, Kenin won only 8 of the 28 she played, which amounts to only 29%. That's a huge difference between them, but there is more to it. The main reason Kenin is losing so much isn't that she's playing dreadful tennis. Most of her matches are quite competitive; she's just very inconsistent.
One of her most recent matches against Katie Volynets shows that well. She won the opening set 6-2, took an early break in the second set but then lost it 2-6. In the decider, Kenin fell behind 0-3, 2-4, and 3-5 before winning four games in a row to win 7-5. That's a lot of inconsistency, and it will be a problem against Raducanu.
While generally a streaky player, Raducanu has been solid this year. There were very few matches this year in which she was bad. That consistency and strong skills should be enough for her to beat Kenin, especially with the American's inconsistencies.
| Emma Raducanu | Sofia Kenin | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 71 | Rank | 55 |
| 21 | Age | 25 |
| 18-11 | 2024 W/L | 8-20 |
| 116-60 | Career W/L | 268-186 |
Prediction:
Despite being the favorite to win, Raducanu won't have an easy job in this match. Kenin will be motivated and she will play very good tennis at times in the match. It likely won't be enough to win, but it should be enough to make it close.
Prediction: Emma Raducanu to win in three sets.
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