'I Won My Second Slam': Naomi Osaka's Playful Jab At Emma Raducanu After Defeat At DC Open
Emma Raducanu defeated Naomi Osaka 6–4, 6–2 at the Washington Open, advancing to the quarterfinals. Osaka's playful post-match response highlighted their parallels.
In a long-anticipated showdown between two of tennis's most commercially powerful—and frequently scrutinized—young stars, Emma Raducanu defeated Naomi Osaka 6–4, 6–2 on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Washington Open.
It marked their first-ever career meeting, and Raducanu delivered a sharp, composed performance to outplay the four-time Grand Slam champion.
But while the match added another impressive win to Raducanu's comeback arc, it was Naomi Osaka's tongue-in-cheek response to a pointed post-match question that stole the show.
Speaking to Bounces newsletter, Osaka was asked to reflect on the parallels often drawn between herself and Raducanu.
Osaka responded coolly, if not a bit playfully: 'I won my second slam after I won my first slam."
For Raducanu, Thursday's win was more than symbolic—it was proof of progress.
'I thought it was going to be a really difficult match," she told Sky Sports. 'Naomi's won four slams, she's been world number one, won Masters. She's so dangerous and on the hard courts, I think she's particularly comfortable."
Both players skyrocketed to global fame after major Grand Slam wins—Osaka with her 2018 U.S. Open title and Raducanu with her historic 2021 U.S. Open triumph—and both have faced career turbulence and inconsistency in the years that followed.
Still, the statistical and cultural parallels between the two remain striking. Both are ranked outside the top 40—Raducanu currently at No. 46, Osaka at No. 51—and neither has won a tour-level title since their respective 2021 Slam victories.
Their rankings have often hovered in the same range, largely due to extended absences—Raducanu due to injuries and surgery, Osaka due to mental health breaks and maternity leave.
Raducanu's Next Test
At the DC Open, Raducanu faces Maria Sakkari next, the former world No. 3, in the quarterfinals after the Greek stunned second seed Emma Navarro in straight sets.
view comments
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
an hour ago
- News18
McCullum admits India deserved to win final Test, they played better cricket
Last Updated: London, Aug 5 (PTI) England head coach Brendon McCullum admitted India 'deserved" to win the fifth and final Test at The Oval as the visitors played better cricket in the closing stages. England had entered the final day needing just 35 more runs with four wickets in hand and looked poised to seal the series 3-1. However, pacer Mohammed Siraj produced a stunning spell, taking three wickets to bowl India to a memorable six-run win and level the series 2-2. 'The way India were late on in this Test, Mohammed Siraj has the absolute heart of a lion to bowl 90mph in his 30th over of his fifth Test match. It's quite an incredible effort," McCullum was quoted as saying by 'ESPNCricinfo'. 'As much as we got ourselves in a winning position this Test match, I feel like they deserved to win. They played better cricket." 'We threw everything at them in the series. It was testament to how stoic they are as a team. We knew when they turned up in England it would be a very stern challenge and we'd have to play excellent cricket to get the result we wanted," he added. McCullum conceded that England have areas to work on as they now shift focus to the upcoming Ashes series in Australia later this year. 'We'll let this one sit, we'll digest it. We'll be able to pick out what has gone well then start to work out how we can keep improving so, when we do arrive out in Australia, we give ourselves a huge chance. 'We're in the middle now, halfway through what we knew was going to be an unbelievable 12 months of Test cricket. We know we've got some room to improve. You're always learning any time you get to see guys having to dig deep and go to places they've maybe not been before." 'There's lots to pick out as we give ourselves time for this to digest and work out areas we can look to improve for our next challenge. Ultimately, I'm really proud of the guys and their efforts. It's been a combative series, it's taken its toll with injuries, some of the best players have gone home injured," he added. APA KHS KHS (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Gill will keep doing well for Indian cricket: Gambhir
Agency: PTI Last Updated: New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) India head coach Gautam Gambhir was all praise for skipper Shubman Gill leading from the front during the just-concluded England series as he expects him to shine brightly in years to come. Gill played a massive role in India's creditable 2-2 draw, scoring 754 runs with four hundreds in the five-match series. 'I think Gill has done a fabulous job, that's all I can say and he will keep doing well for Indian cricket," Gambhir told reporters on his arrival from England on Tuesday. While he had a role in making tactical calls, Gambhir didn't want to take any credit for the superb show in England. 'We are really happy. I think the boys deserve every bit of it because they way the fought since the last two months in all the five Test matches. They deserve all the plaudits." Mohammed Siraj is getting praise from all and sundry but the coach said that he can go on waxing eloquent about all others who made significant impact at various points during the series. 'Look he (Siraj) has been really brilliant, not only him the entire team has performed brilliantly and it is really difficult for me to mention one name. 'These guys have, be it Shubman, be it Siraj, Jaddu, Washi, Jaiswal, I can stand here and talk for the next 20 mins about the individual performances. I think the boys have been brilliant in the last two months," Gambhir said. PTI KHS KHS APA APA (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 05, 2025, 22:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Chennai Grandmasters: Erigaisi face stiff challenge from Gujrathi, Giri
Last Updated: Chennai, Aug 4 (PTI) India No. 1 Arjun Erigaisi will face tough competition from seasoned compatriot Vidit Gujrathi and Netherland's top player Anish Giri during the expanded third edition of the Chennai Grandmasters chess tournament, starting here from Wednesday. The event, which carries a winner's purse of Rs 1 crore, will be competed for the first time over nine rounds in classical round robin format across Masters and Challengers segments. This year's Masters field includes a powerful mix of global and Indian talent. Alongside Erigaisi and Liang, the opening round will see top-seeded Dutch GM Anish face American GM Ray Robson, while Gujrathi, Vincent Keymer, Nihal Sarin, and others are all set for high-stakes match-ups. World No. 5 Erigaisi will open his campaign against American prodigy Awonder Liang. While the highly-anticipated clash between two Indian grandmasters Erigaisi and Gujrathi is set for Round 8 on August 14. The tournament, which was played over seven rounds in the previous two editions, will see participation from 19 Grandmasters and will offer crucial FIDE Circuit points. The points will be vital for securing a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, just like it helped eventual world champion D Gukesh to enter the Candidates. Erigasi, who has broken into the elite 2800 FIDE rating club, will also face strong challenge from promising Sarin and Germany's 20-year-old Vincent Keymer, who was D Gukesh's second during last year's World Championship. But his toughest competitor will be Giri, who brings a wealth of experience and a super-solid style that makes him one of the tournament favourites. Apart from the established names, India's Pranav V and Karthikeyan Murali too are capable of effecting some stunning results. As for the format, the latest edition marks a significant expansion, growing into a 20-player event split into two distinct 10-player sections: the Masters and the Challengers. This new structure provides a direct pathway for rising stars to compete at the highest level, with the Challengers winner earning a guaranteed spot in the 2026 Masters. Meanwhile, the Challengers section features some equally exciting talents in D Harika, who was a part of the gold winning women's team at the 45th Chess Olympiad last year. R Vaishali, Harshvardhan GB, Abhimanyu Puranik experienced Grandmaster Adhiban Baskaran, who is known for his aggressive style, will also be in contention. Round 1 Pairings: Masters: Arjun Erigaisi vs Awonder Liang, Anish Giri vs Ray Robson, Vidit Gujrathi vs Jorden Van Foreest, Vincent Keymer vs Nihal Sarin, Pranav V vs Karthikeyan Murali Challengers: Leon Luke Mendonca vs Harshavardhan GB, Abhimanyu Puranik vs Adhiban Baskaran, Vaishali Rameshbabu vs Iniyan P, Dronavalli Harika vs Diptayan Ghosh, Pranesh M vs Aryan Chopra. PTI APA KHS KHS view comments First Published: August 05, 2025, 22:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
