Emma Raducanu is set for a tricky opener at the WTA 500 tournament in Washington after drawing Marta Kostyuk, against whom she has a negative head-to-head record.
After seeing her Wimbledon run end in the third round 16 days ago, the 45th-ranked Briton didn’t waste any time as she quickly started practicing on hard to kick off her North American hard-court swing in early.
In what will be her third Washington appearance, Raducanu drew No. 7 seed Kostyuk, who has two wins and one loss against the Briton. In 2021 – only two months after her US Open triumph – the British tennis player got annihilated 2-6 1-6 by the Ukrainian on the indoor hard courts of Cluj-Napoca. The 22-year-old Briton got her revenge in their 2022 Madrid meeting, but when they met in the Spanish capital again two months ago, it was the Ukrainian who sealed a 6-4 2-6 6-2 win.
Evidently, Kostyuk is a tricky matchup for the former world No. 10. However, even though the Briton lost their lone hard meeting, it is still a surface that gives her a bigger chance of beating the Ukrainian.
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Here is why Raducanu is the favorite to beat Kostyuk in Washington
Kostyuk may have had success against Raducanu in the past but she has been playing very poorly as of late. Going into their Washington match, the 27th-ranked Ukrainian has lost her last five matches and she hasn’t had a win since May. The Briton’s form may not be the best either but she should be regarded as the favorite under these circumstances.
In the past, the 22-year-old Briton had two quarterfinal outings in Washington – in 2022 and 2024.
