Emma Raducanu has made her biggest semifinal appearance since winning the 2021 US Open. She defeated Maria Sakkari 6‑4, 7‑5 at the DC Open 2025 on Friday.
The match was played under intense heat, with temperatures above 90°F (32 °C). Raducanu took a medical timeout while trailing 5‑2 in the second set. She then won five games in a row to close out the match. “I would like to say I’m pretty good in the heat, for the most part, but I was really struggling today,” Raducanu said.
“It was one of the toughest matches, conditions‑wise, I have ever played in. … Those points in the second set, I was getting a bit wobbly. I’m just happy I could close it out, and it was two sets.”
Raducanu will now face Anna Kalinskaya in the semifinal on Saturday. Kalinskaya defeated No. 4 seed Clara Tauson 6‑3, 7‑5 to reach the final four.
Leylah Fernandez Sets Up Showdown with Rybakina
Leylah Fernandez, Raducanu’s 2021 US Open final opponent, also reached the semifinals. She beat Taylor Townsend 6‑4, 7‑6(4) on Thursday.
Next, Fernandez will face Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion. Rybakina, seeded No. 3, won her match against Magdalena Frech 6‑3, 6‑3. Frech had knocked out Venus Williams the night before.
Ben Shelton Powers into Men’s Semifinals Again
In the men’s draw, Ben Shelton advanced to the semifinals for the second year in a row. He defeated Frances Tiafoe 7‑6(2), 6‑4 in an all‑American clash.
Shelton fired nine aces in the match, ending with a 146 mph serve. He won 90% of his first‑serve points.
Shelton, the No. 4 seed, will now face either No. 1 Taylor Fritz or No. 12 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
In the other semifinal, Alex de Minaur (No. 7) will meet Corentin Moutet. De Minaur beat Brandon Nakashima 6‑4, 6‑4. Moutet came from behind to upset 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev 1‑6, 6‑4, 6‑4.
Their match was delayed for an hour late in the third set due to lightning.
New Update: Raducanu’s win marks her first WTA Tour-level semifinal in over a year, and her first at a WTA 500 event since her US Open title run in 2021. The 2‑hour, 10‑minute quarterfinal featured Raducanu concluding with five straight games in brutal heat that peaked near 95 °F (35 °C). With this form, her live WTA ranking has risen to No. 32. Two more victories this week could lift her as high as No. 26, potentially securing a seed at the upcoming US Open.
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