Emma Raducanu is chasing that New York magic again at the US Open. It’s the place she stunned the tennis world back in 2021, storming to the title as a qualifier — her one and only career crown so far. But this season, the British No.1 has been on the rise, finding her rhythm on every surface. Now, back on the hard courts where history began, she looks determined to make another run.

Her campaign kicked off in style on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Emma brushed aside Ena Shibahara, racing to a 6-1, 6-2 win in just one hour and two minutes. It was her first victory in New York since that unbelievable 2021 triumph. Clean, sharp, and confident — she was simply too much for the Japanese player to handle.

But the match wasn’t without a quirky twist. Early on, while Emma Raducanu was serving, play stopped unexpectedly when a cameraman took a tumble over the advertising boards. “Stacked it,” laughed Laura Robson on Sky Sports commentary. Jonathan Overend chimed in too: “Don’t try anything too ambitious, I think might be the moral of that story, he tried to take a shortcut, didn’t go well for him.” The crew scrambled to help him back into position, and the crowd had a light-hearted pause before play resumed.

On the other hand, Emma Raducanu never lost her focus. That moment ended up being the only real interruption. She was locked in from start to finish, firing just six unforced errors compared to Shibahara’s 36. Once things settled, it was all business again for the 2021 champion. Catch more of the live updates on Emma and more on our US Open live blog!

On the other hand, Emma is no stranger to interruptions this year. Remember how a seagull disrupted her serve at the Eastbourne International, or when a champagne cork popped during the Wimbledon Champions and landed on the court while Emma was competing against wildcard Mingge Xu in R1? She handled each situation with grace and a laugh, even winning the matches in the end.

This time, it was a cameraman who nearly broke her focus, but she brushed it off and pushed through. In her previous tournament, though, the interruption was far more disruptive and left her visibly frustrated.

Emma Raducanu’s match halted by crying child

Earlier this month in Cincinnati, Emma went toe-to-toe with World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Round of 32. The clash was always going to be fiery with Sabalenka’s power game, but Raducanu held her ground. She dropped the opener, dug deep, then snatched the second with fearless hitting. Suddenly, a tense third set had the crowd on edge.

At 3-4 down, Raducanu stepped into a marathon game that turned chaotic. A child cried out mid-serve, and she stopped to protest: “It’s been, like, 10 minutes.” The umpire shot back, “It’s a child. Do you want me to kick the child out of the stadium?” However, with the stakes so high, Raducanu shrugged, while fans cheekily yelled “yes.” She pointed at them with a grin, but the umpire stood firm, “I can call in, but we need to continue for the moment.”

Play resumed, and what followed was incredible. Thirteen deuces, four break points saved, pure grit until Raducanu finally held for 4-4. The crowd roared, but Sabalenka silenced it just as fast. The Belarusian steadied, reeled off the next two games, and sealed her place in the last 16.

For Emma Raducanu, it was a fight without reward. But now she’s in New York! New Slam, new city, fresh mindset, and a new coach in her corner. Could this be the run where she turns all that fire into something bigger? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!