Emma Raducanu expects a ‘really difficult match’ when she faces world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the next round of Wimbledon.
The British number one booked her place in the third-round of her home Grand Slam with an impressive 6-3 6-3 victory over former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova.
Raducanu is yet to drop a set in the tournament after her straight-sets win over fellow Brit Mingge Xu in the first round.
The award for beating Vondrousova on Centre Court is a daunting third-round clash against Sabalenka on Friday.
Sabalenka is bidding to win her first Wimbledon title and fourth Grand Slam as the world number one and top seed.
The 27-year-old has been the best player in the women’s game over the past 24 months, having reached the final of the previous two Grand Slams in 2025.
Raducanu says Sabalenka has been ‘so dominant’ on the women’s tour but intends to focus on her own game as she prepares for the match.
‘She is number one in the world right now, so dominant on the tour and has won literally everything so and it is going to be a really difficult match,’ Raducanu said in her on-court interview.
‘I’m just so happy with how I performed and all I can do is control my side of the court as best as possible.
‘When you play an opponent like her you know you have to play well so I guess there is no pressure on me at all in the next round!
‘I know it’s going to be a massive challenge. I’m going to have to play some really good tennis.
‘You want to play the best. You are going to have to play them at some point if you want to win one of these tournaments. Even though it’s early in the tournament, I’m looking forward to the opportunity.’
Raducanu has twice reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, doing so as a wildcard in 2021, just a few months before her remarkable US Open win.
The Bromley-born Brit was considered one of the best prospects in tennis when she stunned the US Open field as a qualifier and lifted the trophy without losing a single set.
But Raducanu, now 22, has largely struggled since that incredible achievement.
She has shown promising at the All England Club this week, however, and appears to be improving under coach Mark Petchey, who previously coached Sir Andy Murray.
‘I think I played really, really well,’ Raducanu said. ‘There were some points that I have no idea how I turned around.
‘I knew playing Marketa was going to be an incredibly difficult match. She has won this tournament which is a huge achievement.
‘I’m really pleased with how I played my game the whole way through.’
Raducanu’s Centre Court display impressed former British number one Annabel Croft, who described it as a ‘statement’ win.
‘That’s quite a statement Emma Raducanu has put out on this court and I think quite worrying for Aryna Sabalenka because she’s going to be facing Raducanu playing at her best,’ she told BBC One.
‘If she can come out playing anything close to that level again, I mean she may not be allowed to play like that because Sabalenka is going to bring a lot of power to the court, but Sabalenka is capable of spraying balls around.’
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