Emma Raducanu Beats Kasatkina, Builds French Open Momentum

Emma Raducanu has shown promising improvement on clay courts ahead of the French Open, highlighted by her recent 6-1, 6-3 victory over world No. 17 Daria Kasatkina at the Strasbourg WTA 500 tournament. This win marked her first time defeating Kasatkina after three previous losses and was part of a streak where she won three consecutive matches on clay, signaling increased confidence and athleticism under coach Mark Petchey. Raducanu has described this period as a "fresh start," focusing on adapting her game and building a stronger relationship with clay surfaces. Following her clay season, Raducanu is ramping up preparations for Wimbledon by accepting wildcards into the WTA 500 events at London’s Queen’s Club and the Berlin Tennis Open, aiming to gain extra match play and ranking points. She hopes to replicate her strong grass-court performances from last year, which included a semi-final in Nottingham and a quarter-final in Eastbourne. Overall, Raducanu appears to be in a better place physically and mentally, steadily bridging the gap between her current level and her goals on both clay and grass seasons.