Emma Raducanu accompanies Sloane Stephens with an epic performance in Eastbourne

Emma Raducanu put her painful defeat to British number 1 Katie Boulter behind her with a 6-4 6-0 victory over American star Sloane Stephens.

Raducanu lost to her compatriot in the semi-finals of the Nottingham Open ten days ago, but won her opening match in Eastbourne against world number 45 Stephens on Tuesday in what is her final tournament before the Wimbledon Championships.

It was Stephens who took the lead in an incredibly frenetic first set at Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club – where both players produced double breaks – and it looked like we were heading for a tie-break for an epic Game 10.

After being stuck at deuce for what felt like an eternity, Raducanu conjured up a set point and finished the job with her third break of the match when Stephens’ forehand went wide, much to the delight of the home crowd who cheered on the Brit.

Raducanu was on fire at the start of the second set, producing some of her very best tennis with two comfortable grips and her fourth break of the afternoon to race to an early 3-0 lead in the East Sussex sunshine.

Another break and hold remarkably put Raducanu 5-0 up and on the brink of a bagel set and her sixth break of the afternoon secured a mighty 6-4 6-0 victory.

The 21-year-old, who tasted Grand Slam glory as a teenage qualifier in New York three years ago, skipped the French Open this year to focus on Wimbledon, which starts on July 1, with Raducanu given a wildcard from the organizers.

Raducanu has been struggling with form problems and various injury problems since her victory at the US Open at Flushing Meadows. 2024 is all about building up her fitness, with the British star currently sitting at number 168 after her long period of inactivity.

She is desperate to make a deep run at her home Grand Slam in SW19 – the tournament where she burst onto the tennis scene when she reached the fourth round in 2021 – after being unable to compete last year due to injuries.

Beating one-time major winner Stephens is a major morale boost for Raducanu and the Briton, who was ranked as high as world number 10 in 2022, now aims to extend her stay in Eastbourne as long as possible before the championships.

‘I have rekindled the fire in me’

“I love the sport, I love tennis,” Raducanu said ahead of her match against Stephens in Eastbourne. “It kind of took over me. I have truly ignited a light and a fire within me. Just very happy and have fun.

“I’m just really grateful to have this feeling again, because it’s something that I’ve missed in a way over the last few years. I haven’t felt too good about my tennis yet and have just been excited and passionate about it for a long, long time.

‘I think it’s really reassuring for me now because I’m a lot less focused on the result, because I know that with the way I train and the way I compete and fight on the field, there are good things. % going to happen.’

Emma Raducanu praises ‘special’ Andy Murray

Andy Murray’s participation at Wimbledon 2024 is very much up in the air – with conflicting reports about his fitness this weekend – after undergoing surgery on a spinal cyst in his back following the fresh injury he suffered at Queen’s Club.

Asked for her opinion on Murray, Raducanu said: “I think it’s very easy to jump to conclusions. I don’t know what’s going on at all, but I just wouldn’t believe everything that’s said in the press because it’s often not the full story at all.

‘Seeing Andy at Wimbledon is so special. I just see him operating every day, how professional he is, how he’s in the gym an hour and a half before practice, how he does his thing.

“It’s just nice to have that influence. He sets really good positions and we all like having him around. It’s fun to see him hitting with the other guys and the other players too. I think they all get really inspired when they play with him too.”

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