Emma Raducanu Triumphs Over Naomi Osaka as Venus Williams Bows Out in Washington Open
Emma Raducanu advances to the Washington Open quarter-finals after defeating Naomi Osaka, while Venus Williams exits the tournament.





Emma Raducanu continued her impressive run at the Washington Open by defeating four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. The British sensation, who previously upset Ukrainian seventh seed Marta Kostyuk in the first round, showcased a dominant performance to secure her spot in the quarter-finals. Raducanu will now face Maria Sakkari, who advanced after knocking out American second seed Emma Navarro.
In the women's doubles, Raducanu and her partner Elena Rybakina also progressed to the semi-finals after a hard-fought victory against Giuliana Olmos and Aldila Sutjiadi, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. They are set to meet second seeds Shuai Zhang and Taylor Townsend in the next round.
Meanwhile, Venus Williams, who made headlines earlier in the week by becoming the second oldest woman to win a WTA Tour-level match, was defeated by Polish fifth seed Magdalena Frech, 6-2, 6-2. Despite the loss, Williams expressed her joy at returning to competitive play, stating, "I had so much fun. Not the result I wanted, but I got to play a lot of matches, definitely a plus. I couldn't be happier."
In the men's singles, British players Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans were both eliminated in the last 16. Norrie fell to 14th seed Brandon Nakashima, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, while Evans, the 2023 tournament champion, was defeated by Corentin Moutet, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
Raducanu reflected on her victory over Osaka, stating, "I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi's won four slams, she's been world number one, won Masters. She's so dangerous and on the hard courts, I think she's particularly comfortable. I knew I was going to have to play well and manage my own service games, which I'm really proud of how I did."
Williams, who is set to play in next month's Cincinnati Open, remains optimistic about her future performances, saying, "I ran out of gas today unfortunately... sorry to have fell short. But I know I can play better and I know I will play better."