Why Raducanu V Osaka Whets The Appetite For 2026

Emma Raducanu describes Naomi Osaka arsenic "pure speed", while nan Japanese prima said earlier this twelvemonth that nan British subordinate has "a royal aerial astir her".

Theirs is simply a mighty rivalry successful waiting, hardly disconnected nan crushed but rich | successful potential, and for conscionable nan 2nd clip successful their careers they are group to play each other.

It should hap astatine their first tourney of 2026, nan United Cup squad arena successful Australia.

Raducanu and Osaka some achieved immense occurrence astatine a young age, and uncovering a measurement backmost to Grand Slam-winning level has not been easy for either player.

There were flickers of elite shape successful 2025, but nan coming twelvemonth feels immense for these large personalities of nan WTA Tour.

Both person caller coaches - Francisco Roig for Raducanu and Tomasz Wiktorowski for Osaka.

Roig and Wiktorowski antecedently worked pinch Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek respectively, and Raducanu has already been stepping up her serving nether caller tutelage, while Osaka is uncovering a cleaner deed and showing patience.

The curve is trending upwards aft ranking rises successful 2025, pinch Osaka astatine 16th connected nan WTA database aft a tally to nan US Open semi-finals, and Raducanu 29th and backmost to being British number one.

They are firmly apical 10 successful position of sanction nickname and intend to scope that position successful nan rankings again.

To that end, nan signs are positive, fixed some began this twelvemonth extracurricular nan apical 50.

For Raducanu and Osaka to spell consecutive into title against each different astatine nan move of nan twelvemonth intends nan lucifer successful Perth will beryllium 1 galore eyes feast upon for 2026 pointers.

Osaka, 28, is simply a four-time Slam winner, while Raducanu, who precocious turned 23, stunned nan sporting world successful 2021 erstwhile she triumphed astatine nan US Open arsenic a qualifier.

It was agelong past precocious clip for a gathering of nan brace erstwhile they yet went caput to caput astatine nan Washington Open successful July.

Raducanu was ascendant that time against nan erstwhile world number one, winning 6-4 6-2 for 1 of her champion results of nan year.

Before that match, Osaka said of Raducanu: "For me, she's, like, nan queen, for illustration there's a royal aerial astir her.

"I consciousness for illustration whenever I spot her aliases Serena, nan kid successful maine comes out, because they were my favourite players to watch."

It emerged successful that week that nan brace were efficaciously strangers to each different connected a individual level, having ne'er had a conversation.

On nan court, Raducanu's crippled was doing plentifulness of talking.

"I watched her successful Wimbledon, but I deliberation it is different playing personification successful existent life than playing them aliases seeing them connected TV," Osaka said aft her defeat.

"It was really bully to get nan experience, to consciousness really her shot is. Hopefully I tin play her again 1 day."

Raducanu's verdict was 1 of awesome satisfaction, arsenic she said: "I rather for illustration these benignant of match-ups wherever you're playing a awesome opponent, a batch of group person eyes connected nan match, they're into it. I'm pleased pinch really I was capable to navigate playing a four-time Slam champ."

Tennis has made some players able and famous, but they person - possibly much than astir successful nan athletics - suffered distant from nan court.

Both person knowledgeable a downside to their status, pinch Raducanu having been followed by a stalker, while Osaka has struggled astatine times pinch her intelligence wellness and took a break from nan sport aft losing early astatine nan 2021 US Open, nan arena wherever Raducanu's momentous breakthrough arrived.

The arena is simply a mixed-gender nationalist squad competition, moving from 2-11 January.

Raducanu joins Jack Draper successful nan Great Britain squad, pinch Mimi Xu and Billy Harris besides travelling arsenic singles players, while Lloyd Glasspool and Olivia Nicholls characteristic arsenic doubles specialists.

Defending champions nan United States are led by Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz.

GB and Japan person been drawn successful a group alongside Greece, pinch their early matches to beryllium played successful Perth. The semi-finals and last are played successful Sydney.