The defending US Open champion Emma Raducanu, is due to meet the former world No.1 and 23-time Grand Slam champion, Serena Willaims, later today at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Raducanu told the press that the chance to play Williams before she retires is a “great gift”.
Remarkably, born in the same year that Williams won 3 out of 4 Grand Slam titles, Raducanu shares her first and strongest memory of watching Williams play - when she was just seven years old, she went to Wimbledon with her first tennis coach, “we got on to Centre Court somehow and we watched her annihilate someone (6-1 6-1)”.
Emma Raducanu was born in 2002 (on Nov. 13).
At that time, Serena Williams:
- had won 210 matches (0.826 win rate)
- was world #1
- had won 19 WTA titles, 4 of which were GS
- had defeated players like Graf, Hingis, Venus, Clijsters, Henin
Next week, they will play each other. pic.twitter.com/TMHH5B2DKX— Relevant | Tennis Stats & Info (@RelevantTennis) August 12, 2022
The formidable duo who are at polar opposite ends of their career, were due to face each other on Monday, but the epic clash was delayed because of Sundays rainfall, meaning the match is now set to commence tonight.
The Western & Southern Open will be one of Williams’ last competitions before she retires, and is likely to be the first and last time Raducano and Williams play each other. This makes this match a truly unique event, as two titans of the game are to clash on the court, and the victor will be facing either Victoria Azarenka or Kaia Kanepi in the next round.
This game will certainly be one to watch.
A dream @CincyTennis opening round 😍#BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | @EmmaRaducanu | @serenawilliams pic.twitter.com/EpWRu0pwYF
— LTA (@the_LTA) August 15, 2022
