Emma Raducanu will face Maria Sakkari in the round of 64 of the Dubai Tennis Championships – an opponent that she’s somewhat familiar with. The two met on the courts of Wimbledon last summer, with Sakkari warning her 22-year-old opponent that she was facing a top-10 player in the third round of the summer Grand Slam.
Sakkari was ranked at world No.9 at the time of the encounter and didn’t hesitate in reminding the public, given the furore around Raducanu at SW19. Speaking to press, Sakkari said: “I think the opportunity is for both. She’s also playing a top-10 player. Let’s not forget that.
“She’s an unbelievable player. She’s very talented. She’s very promising. Even after winning a Grand Slam, she’s still very young. Obviously, she’s going to be the favorite because she’ll be playing [at] home. If anything, that’s normal. But I’m excited. It’s another challenge. That’s why we play tennis. That’s what we play for. It’s going to be pretty exciting. I’m pumped.”
The occasion nor calibre of opponent seemed to phase Raducanu however, who needed just 92 minutes to upset Sakkari with a 6-2, 6-3 win on Centre Court to advance to the round of 16. Ultimately, her following clash with Lulu Sun was her last in the tournament, crashing out after a close-fought 2-6, 7-5, 2-6 loss to the New Zealander.
Heading into Sunday afternoon’s clash in Dubai, Raducanu is ranked 60th by the WTA – with a record of 121 wins and 65 losses to her name. While the 2024 Wimbledon title evaded her, the young Briton has already captured something that Sakkari has not – in the form of a US Open singles title in 2021.
During that instance, Raducanu blitzed through the her Greek rival in the semi finals of the competition, before besting Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in the grand final to capture her first and only Grand Slam title to date. In terms of the 2025 season, Raducanu is still searching for her first tournament win.
The youngster was outsed in the third round of the Australian Open by Iga Swiatek, beaten by Marketa Vondrousova in the round of 32 in Abu Dhabi, and knocked out of the Qatar Open by Ekaterina Alexandrova in the round of 64 of the Qatar Open. Slipping down the rankings to 29 and with two career titles to her name in the form of the 2019 Morocco Open and the 2023 Guadalajara Open, Sakkari will also be hoping for a better 2025 when she hits the courts against Raducanu.
Her best efforts this season thus far came in the form of a quarter-final loss to Dayana Yastremska in the Linz Open at the end of January.
