After Emma Raducanu’s U.S. Open exit, she said the sport’s best are out to get her. 

Yes, on the surface it sounds delusional. But it might not be altogether wrong. 

Elena Rybakina drilled Raducanu 6-1, 6-2 in the third round Friday, with the 62-minute beating the fastest Grand Slam loss for the young Brit. 

After routs at the hands of Iga Swiatek in Australia and the French Open, and a loss to Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon, Raducanu hasn’t gotten past the third round at a major this year. More to the point, In 12 matches against the best four players in the world — the aforementioned trio and Coco Gauff — she’s 0-12. 

And Raducanu — No. 36 in the world — insists the sport’s big four are raising their game against her. 

“Yeah, big time. I think when the very top play against me, they have a point to prove, that they’re at the top, and they’re there for a reason. I think every time I’ve played one, they’ve kind of shown that,” Raducanu said. “So at the same time while I’m improving, doing better, gaining maybe some more respect around, I think yeah, the top have definitely raised their game. But I’ll take that as a compliment that they’ve decided to really lock in against me.” 

It could be as much about her pocketbook as her play. With her model looks and megawatt smile, Raducanu has landed a host of endorsements that outstrip her on-court accomplishments. When Sportico did a list of the top 15 highest-paid female athletes in December — across all sports — she ranked seventh. 

For perspective, Sabalenka ranked fifth with $17.7 million, though $9.7 million were in winnings and $8 million in endorsements. American Jessica Pegula was 13th with $4.2 million in winnings and $4 million in endorsements. Rybakina, who beat Raducanu on Friday, had $3.9 million in winnings and $4 million in endorsements. 

Raducanu had only earned $671,000 in winnings but garnered a staggering $14 million in endorsements. 

It’s worth noting that Raducanu never specified why she perceives the big four have raised their game against her. 

It wasn’t an easy day for the American men, but Taylor Fritz gave the Grand Slam title drought some hope late Friday night. 

The world No. 4 rallied to a four set win over Jerome Kym 7-6 (3), 6-7 (9), 6-4, 6-4 to make it to Sunday’s fourth round to face Czech Tomas Machac., 

He was tested in two tiebreakers but broke away and had 20 aces on the night. 

If all goes as expected in the fourth round, the reigning U.S. Open men’s finalist will face Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. 

While shoulder woes ended Ben Shelton’s 2025 U.S. Open, Carlos Alcaraz had much better injury luck. 

The Spaniard needed a medical timeout at 5-4 in the second set of his win over Luciano Darderi to receive treatment on the right knee. But the 2022 champ tamped down any fears over the injury and called it a precaution. 

“That game that he broke my serve, on the last point after the serve, the first step, I just felt something in the knee that, it was [bothering] me,” Alcaraz said. “But after five, six points, it was gone. 

“I was worried after that [moment]. That’s why I asked for the physio. But it was nothing serious, so just for precaution. After that, I just didn’t feel it anymore, and it was good. So it’s just nothing serious.”

— Additional reporting by Bridget Reilly