Emma Raducanu’s behaviour saw her branded ‘disgrace’ alongside US Open rival Elena Rybakina

Emma Raducanu and Elena Rybakina will face off in the third round of the US Open on Friday, with the pair having been branded a “disgrace” by certain fans earlier this year

British tennis star Emma Raducanu will face Elena Rybakina next at the US Open, not long after the pair found themselves on the receiving end of fans’ ire. The WTA duo, who were team-mates at the time, ruffled some feathers with their choice of tactics in Washington DC.

Former US Open winner Raducanu and Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, are due to clash in the third round at Flushing Meadows on Friday. So far, 22-year-old Raducanu has breezed through the competition and dropped just six games after straight-sets victories over Ena Shibahara and Janice Tjen.

However, the Daily Express reported how her tournament is about to get a lot tougher as she prepares to take on ninth seed Rybakina. The two have only faced each other once before in singles competition, but they teamed up for the women’s doubles at the Citi DC Open back in July.

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Their partnership seemed to be going well as they made it to the semi-finals of the competition. However, they suddenly found themselves facing a backlash from fans after they retired midway through their match against eventual champions Taylor Townsend and Shuai Zhang.

Trailing 1-4 in the opening set, Raducanu and Rybakina decided to throw in the towel. This move was seen as disrespectful by some spectators, many of whom might have expected the star pair to go all the way and clinch the doubles title.

“What a waste of a doubles slot… disgrace to the game,” one disgruntled fan wrote, adding: “Why waste a slot if you’re not gonna play?” Another supporter chimed in: “A lot of people do this but it tarnishes doubles, these sort of withdrawals.”

Some fans speculated Raducanu and Rybakina had withdrawn to focus on their singles matches. Both stars reached the semi-finals of the singles competition, leading some to believe they weren’t fully committed to the doubles.

“Retiring from doubles because you go further in singles than you thought, is one of the things that p****s me off about the ‘show players’ playing in the doubles,” a third fan vented. “They all do it all the time.”

Raducanu and Rybakina’s only previous singles match was at the 2022 Sydney Tennis Classic in January 2024. Less than six months after Raducanu stunned the world by winning the US Open, Rybakina brought her back down to earth with a 6-0, 6-1 defeat.

Both players have evolved since then, and Raducanu is better positioned than ever to prove her 2021 US Open victory wasn’t a fluke. And her experience playing alongside Rybakina will undoubtedly aid her cause.

Rybakina, who is also eyeing her second major title, has been full of praise for her former colleague despite their current disparity in the rankings. The world No. 10 commented on her upcoming opponent and paid tribute to her previous experience in winning the US Open.

“We played once a long time ago, and I think now she’s playing really well,” she said this week. “She knows this place better than anyone else.”