Emma Raducanu surged into the third round of Wimbledon on Wednesday with a commanding 6-1 6-2 triumph over Belgian Elise Mertens.
Since her remarkable U.S. Open victory in 2021, Raducanu has faced fitness challenges but appeared in top form as she dominated Mertens from the baseline. The British wildcard energized the crowd, frequently shouting and fist-pumping with every point won.
Under the closed roof of Court One, Raducanu quickly established a 5-0 lead against the 28-year-old Mertens, who managed to avoid a bagel by holding serve, but the first set comfortably went to Raducanu.
In the second set, Raducanu broke Mertens’s serve in the third game with a stunning backhand and once again to take a 4-1 lead. While Mertens, ranked 33 in the world, held her serve to love in the next game, she couldn’t prevent Raducanu from closing out the match with an ace and sealing victory on the first of two match points after Mertens hit long.
This marks the first time Raducanu has progressed to the third round of a Grand Slam since her triumph at Flushing Meadows, sparking hopes of a potential British women’s singles victory at Wimbledon, a feat last achieved by Virginia Wade in 1977.
“I think I’m playing really good tennis. I’m really happy with the improvements I’ve made,” Raducanu said on court. “I knew all the hard yards and hard work I was doing this year would lead to something. I’m just so happy I’m able to reap some of the rewards here at Wimbledon.”
Raducanu will next face ninth seed Maria Sakkari on Friday in the third round. Raducanu previously defeated the Greek player during the semi-finals en route to her U.S. Open win, where she made history as the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam in the Open era.
“(The) circumstances are different. Like, in a third round compared to a semi-final,” Raducanu said during a press conference. “At the time the dynamics were also different. I was an unknown player pretty much.”
“I’m expecting a really tough match. She’s… in the world… top 10 or something. It’s going to be a really difficult one.”