Emma Raducanu does it again! The British No. 1 rolled into Washington DC ready to take on the hard courts after a disappointing Wimbledon exit. On Tuesday, she delivered a masterclass against Marta Kostyuk in the R32, winning in straight sets 7-6(4), 6-4. The win raised big hopes for her next match. And taking on Naomi Osaka is no walk in the park; however, Emma seemed ready for the challenge!

Thursday saw the 2021 US Open champ pull out all the stops to defeat Osaka! In their first-ever tour meeting, Emma showed serious skill, cruising to a straight-set victory 6-4, 6-2. This win earned her the third quarterfinal of the season. Pretty impressive, right? Still, she tipped her hat to Naomi, acknowledging her formidable legacy.

In her on-court interview, Emma Raducanu shared a surprising take on Naomi: “I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi—you know—she’s won four slams, she’s been world No. 1, and she’s won masters, and she is so dangerous. On the hard courts, I think she’s particularly comfortable, so I knew that I would have to play very well and manage my own service games, which I’m proud of how I did.” That’s definitely something to be proud of! But what makes this extra interesting is Naomi’s comments about Emma before they faced off!

Before the match, Naomi chatted with tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg on Bounces about how she and Emma compare. Both are Grand Slam champs, so the question seemed fitting! But Naomi was a bit more straightforward: “I won my second slam after I won my first slam.” Could it be a subtle dig at Raducanu’s lack of titles since her US Open win? Only she could answer that! Additionally, they haven’t crossed paths before or spoken about each other; this sure is a surprising twist.

On the other hand, Osaka called out Raducanu’s hardships since 2021. Tough breaks that stood between Emma and her game. Back, ankle, wrist—those injuries just wouldn’t quit. Naomi gets it. She’s fought through that pain too! And then came that harrowing stalker incident at the Dubai Championships in February. Osaka said she was shocked by the videos from that time. Truly disturbing.

On court, Raducanu showed no mercy. The Brit handed the four-time Slam champ a brutal Citi Open exit. Afterward, Naomi shared one simple hope for Emma: “I just hope she has a lot of really good people around her.” The Briton has spoken about these tough times before, but she opened up even more ahead of this match!

Emma Raducanu gets real about loneliness on tour

At just 18, she crashed onto the main draw at Wimbledon in 2021, dazzling fans as she powered through to the fourth round. That was only the beginning—because just a few months later, this teenager rocketed to superstardom, becoming the very first qualifier (man or woman!) to win a Grand Slam singles title. Ten matches. Ten wins. One magical run to the US Open trophy.

But Emma keeps it real—even with all that glory, she admitted, “I don’t know. I think when we’re on the tour, it’s very difficult to really open up with other players that you’re competing against. I think for me I have a few friends on the tour, but it does add another dimension when you play them.” The world No. 46 isn’t shy about the challenge of making true friends in a world of rivals.

While it may be true, Emma’s tiny circle on tour packs a punch! Katie Boulter stands out as her go-to confidante, with Boulter sharing that the British gang is “very close and travel together a lot,” spending off-court hours cooking and just having a laugh. Then there’s Paula Badosa, dubbed a close friend and even a “secret admirer” across headlines—the pair share a zodiac sign and loads of mutual support through tournaments!

Let’s not forget Priscilla Hon? She’s more than a hitting partner—they trained together in sunny Brisbane and Raducanu even spent Christmas with Hon’s “best friend’s family” in Auckland. That’s a genuine friendship off-court. Still, Emma’s all about balance: “I have really good friends at home that I can trust and speak to, but other than that, you know, I don’t think that, yeah, this is—for me, I just find it harder to compete against a person I’m friends with.”

Lately, Raducanu’s been emerging from her shell. She’s hitting the ball with new confidence, enjoying a rare stretch of good health, and now gears up to clash with Maria Sakkari—the very player she has beaten three times, with a flawless head-to-head lead. Could this be the breakthrough to her first semifinal of the season? We’d love to know what you think in the comments below!