Key events
Alcaraz speaks:
I’m not used to playing early, so my goal was to start focused. I think I did pretty well, and after that I kept it going. Great performance, so I’m proud about it. I’m not an early person so for me it’s difficult, but I played good. I felt something in my knee [when he called for the physio], but after five, six points it was gone.
Alcaraz defeats Darderi 6-2, 6-4, 6-0
Darderi is serving to stay in the match. 0-15. 0-30. 0-40, as Alcaraz comes up with a return to take the breath away. Darderi takes the next point for 15-40, but almost seemed halfway to the net to shake Alcaraz’s hand. He knows his time is nearly up. So he’s going for broke. It’s an approach that gets him to deuce, but Alcaraz creates a fourth match point, and this time Darderi hits long! Alcaraz whizzes into round four for the loss of only six games. He again opts for his golf swing celebration.
Darderi looks as if he’s had enough. He’s broken again, this time to 15, as Alcaraz fizzes a forehand winner. It’s 4-zip. Darderi then goes for broke with Alcaraz leading 40-0 on serve, as the Italian crushes and rushes on his way to hauling himself to deuce. But Alcaraz sees the game through from there. It’s 6-2, 6-4, 5-0.
The Arthur Ashe court is turning into quicksand for Darderi as he drops 3-0 down in the third. Alcaraz is a few games away from what would be a third straight-sets win on the spin. His most likely fourth-round opponent is Rinderknech, who is two sets to one up on Bonzi. Bonzi defeated the self-combusting Daniil Medvedev in the first round, as he did at Wimbledon in June, but he’ll have to take this to five if he’s to progress any further.
You wouldn’t know Alcaraz has just received treatment for a knee issue. Because he jumps out of his chair and swiftly works his way to two set points at 15-40 on Darderi’s serve. And an inopportune double fault from Darderi gifts the second set to Alcaraz. The world No 2 leads 6-2, 6-4.
More bad news for Britain after Raducanu’s exit: Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, the top seeds and Wimbledon champions, have lost in the first round of the men’s doubles. I should have said that Raducanu’s defeat means British interest in the women’s singles is over, with Cameron Norrie the sole survivor in the men’s singles. And Norrie has the task of facing Novak Djokovic in the night session, though he will be encouraged by Djokovic’s slightly shaky performance in the second round.
Alcaraz has called for the trainer. He’s got some pain in his right knee. He says he doesn’t want any tape, so instead is having a massage on his quad to see if it’ll loosen things up.
Darderi, after the high of the previous game, struggles to focus on serve, and is soon break point down. The 23-year-old (he’s a year older than Alcaraz, despite the gulf in grand slam experience) saves it, but very quickly has to fend off another. This time he does it with an ace. And from there he gamely holds for 4-4.
Plenty of oohs and aaahs from the biggest crowd in tennis as Darderi turns into Alcaraz, becoming the showman as he dives to the drop shot and Alcaraz goes wide. Quite possibly the point of the match. And the biggest surprise of the match, as the Italian goes on to break! It’s the first time this tournament that Alcaraz has been broken, and they’re back on serve in the second set, but Alcaraz still leads 6-2, 4-3.
Meanwhile the man with the biggest smile in tennis, Carlos Alcaraz, is doing to Luciano Darderi what he did in the first set, and now leads 6-2, 4-1. Despite his five slam titles, he can be prone to lapses in concentration, but he’s been locked in here from the start and appears well set for a fourth-round meeting with Benjamin Bonzi or Arthur Rinderknech. The French pair are locked at one set all.
I think the disappointing thing for Raducanu today was that she’ll know she could have played better. Yes, she’s struggled against the top, top players in the past, but the way she took it to Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon and in Cincinnati marked real progress, which was halted today. But progress is rarely linear – Raducanu of all people knows that, with all the knocks she’s had during her career. Hopefully she can still build on the positives from her summer; it’s been good to see her playing with a smile again, that’s for sure.
An email. “Raducanu is ranked around 35 and I feel that is accurate,” writes Mary Waltz. “She is still young and has room for improvement. She can have a long career but I don’t see her as regular top-10 player or major tournament winner. No shame in that.”
Raducanu leaves court in double quick time. Rybakina, meanwhile, says in her interview she’s really happy with how she played and that the scoreline didn’t reflect how tough Raducanu is as competitor. She admits she doesn’t know why she hasn’t gone far at the US Open before, but hopes this year will be different. The interview takes an unexpected turn when she’s asked about her love of rollercoasters – not that she experienced one today – the match was always going only one way.
«It’s back to a bit of a humbling by a top player» 😓
Emma Raducanu is OUT of the US Open, having been comprehensively beaten in straight sets by Elena Rybakina ❌ pic.twitter.com/rUNvJkkfGa
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) August 29, 2025
Rybakina beats Raducanu 6-1, 6-2
Alcaraz meanwhile, having conceded only two points on serve so far, leads Darderi 5-2. And here are three set points on the Italian’s serve. Darderi nets. Alcaraz has the first set in 30 minutes … as Rybakina completes victory in just 62, when Raducanu’s return flies long. A humbling day for Raducanu, having had such a promising summer. For Rybakina, surprisingly, this is the first time she’s reached the fourth round in New York … and on this form she can go deep. Next she’ll face either Jasmine Paolini or Marketa Vondrousova.
Raducanu, from 15-all on her serve, slides 15-40 down. Which may as well be two match points. The pair get into a cross-court exchange … Rybkina hits just wide. And then nets her return! Raducanu puffs out her cheeks in relief; she’ll be hoping those two missed chances will play on her opponent’s mind. But from deuce, Raducanu is dragged out of court and Rybakina then hits a winner into the open space. And Raducanu’s cross-court forehand skids into the tramlines. Rybakina will serve for the match at 6-1, 5-2. Not that the crowd are cheering; they wanted a match here. But it’s gone by in the blink of an eye. Or more accurately 58 minutes.
Raducanu wins a rare point on the Rybakina second serve for 15-all. But then a short ball is swatted away for 30-15. Roig is trying to encourage Raducanu to take a few steps back and give herself more time on the ball. His plea works; it’s soon 30-all. But Rybakina rams an ace down the T and then Raducanu drops a tame ball into the centre of the court and Rybakina has plenty of time to take aim and whack a forehand winner. It’s 6-1, 4-2.
A nice bit of play from Raducanu, as she hits back behind Rybakina, catching the Kazakhstani off guard, to secure a hold to 30. The problem is, at 6-1, 3-2 down, she’s starting to run out of chances to break.
Make that 3-0 Alcaraz. He’s looking as sharp as his haircut. And Rybakina.
Rybakina rips a few more winners and it’s 6-1, 3-1. Meanwhile Carlos Alcaraz is doing what Carlos Alcaraz does, and the 2022 champion (was it really three years ago?!) has broken for a 2-0 lead in the opening set.
Raducanu duly listens to our Tim, and has a little spring in her step as she heads back to her chair having held courtesy of a couple of winners. Can she build on it? The problem is, this match is still very much on Rybakina’s racket. For all the inconsistency Rybakina has shown during her career, when she’s playing at her best, few can live with her; she’s up there with Sabalenka and Swiatek.
Ach. Raducanu, from 40-0 up on serve at the start of the second set, makes a flurry of errors and that’s another break. She desperately needed to steady herself in this match, but Rybakina consolidates the break and is 6-1, 2-0 ahead. “Only 37 minutes on the clock but you think the next game is must-win for Raducanu,” says Henman, as Raducanu’s latest coach Francisco Roig offers some encouragement from the sidelines.
Rybakina is seeing the ball like a football out there. She’s barely missing. But Raducanu is playing a lot into the centre of the court; perhaps she’ll have more success if she gets Rybakina on the move. She needs to try something different, that’s for sure. Meanwhile Carlos Alcaraz and that buzzcut have arrived on Arthur Ashe. His victim opponent today is the Italian 32nd seed Luciano Darderi.
This game follows the first-set script as Rybakina moves to 40-30, set point. But then she throws in a double! A glimmer, perhaps, for Raducanu. But Raducanu can’t make the most of the reprieve. She bashes a backhand return into the net on the second set point and it’s been a near-rout for Rybakina, who leads 6-1.
Raducanu gets on the board as a forehand winner seals a hold to 15. That’ll have felt good. But Rybakina, undeterred, swiftly holds to 15 herself amid a flurry of errant forehands from Raducanu. Rybakina has this way of looking so calm, composed and effortless, while also being so powerful and destructive. And that’s exactly how she gets herself a double break. It’s 5-1. After just 22 minutes, the ninth seed will serve for the opening set.
And we’ve also got these two pieces on US Open stoners and dating shows. Not a sentence I thought I’d ever type.
As usual, please do get in touch with your predictions/predilections. Or with anything I’ve missed. I’ve been on holiday the past couple of weeks (the west coast of Scotland – so beautiful!), so I’m playing a bit of catch-up. And talking of playing catch-up, here’s what happened on day five:
Raducanu dropped only six games in her first two matches. But both were against qualifiers; Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champ, represents a huge step up in quality. Raducanu has tended to struggle against the biggest hitters – and is letting Rybakina dictate early on here – but the way in which she stood up to Aryna Sabalenka in two tight defeats at Wimbledon and Cincinnati this summer will give her hope. But Rybakina backs up the break and it’s 3-0.
Rybakina underlines why she’s the best server in the women’s game with some pinpoint deliveries to get to 40-15 in the opening game. The Russia-born Kazakhstani then misfires from the baseline, but holds to 30 when Raducanu rattles her return long. Rybakina bosses the next game too, charging to 0-40 and three break points. Raducanu repels the first, Rybakina blinks on the second but makes no mistake on the third. Raducanu drops serve for the first time at this US Open and it’s 2-0.
Also getting going: Jiri Lehecka, the Czech 20th seed, against Belgium’s Raphael Collignon, the conqueror of Casper Ruud; and the all-French affair between Benjamin Bonzi and Arthur Rinderknech.
On Sky, Tim Henman is backing the Brit, but reckons it’ll go to three sets. Marion Bartoli is also going with Raducanu. Big call. The head-to-head doesn’t help us much: ER has met ER only once before, back in 2022, though Rybakina did thrash Raducanu 6-0, 6-1. The pair have plenty of respect for each other and played doubles together last month in Washington DC.
Raducanu, all smiles, steps on to court, just ahead of Rybakina. The British No 1 has looked so happy and relaxed this week, having finally won her first matches at the US Open since that unlikely 2021 triumph. Rybakina, surprisingly given her pedigree as a former Wimbledon champion, has never been beyond the third round in New York. The pair are warming up, which should give you just about enough time to read Tumaini’s preview:
Preamble
Good afternoon/morning/evening depending on your worldly whereabouts and welcome to our day six coverage of the US Open as the third round begins. Now the pre-match pleasantries are out of the way, we better cut straight to the chase, because Emma Raducanu is about to get going against Elena Rybakina on Louis Armstrong. Carlos Alcaraz will make his entrance on Arthur Ashe in about half an hour. The American contingent of Ben Shelton, Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe and Emma Navarro are also in action in the day session as the Labor Day weekend gets under way, along with Jasmine Paolini and the former finalist Victoria Azarenka. Let’s do this!
