Emma Raducanu will feel a sense of deflation after her comprehensive defeat against Amanda Anisimova in Montreal – and this defeat may have left a lasting scar.
The last few weeks have been a story of positive steps forward for the 2021 US Open champion, who appeared to be closing the gap on the players operating at the top of the game, but her 6-2, 6-1 loss against Anisimova highlighted a familiar flaw in her game.
Wimbledon finalist Anismova has too much power for Raducanu to contend with, with the 22-year-old forced onto the back foot throughout her hammering in front of the Canadian fans.
Every serve she delivered came back with a ferocity that put Raducanu in defensive mode, while Anisimova powered through her with her fearsome ground shots with relentless ease.
Raducanu had beaten Anisimova in their previous two contests in 2025, but this latest encounter as a mismatch and the power element will be a concern for the Brit.
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The story that played out in Montreal replicated so many we have seen when Raducanu has played the game’s biggest hitters, as she looked like a lightweight against a big-hitting rival.
This story has been seen in Raducanu’s matches against Iga Swiatek, who holds a 5-0 record in their head-to-head meetings.
Swiatek’s dominance in those contests is highlighted by the statistic that the Polish star has allowed her rival to win just four games in their last two meetings, with those two matches highlighting how Raducanu is susceptible to being blown away by rivals who have more power in their game.
Solving this problem has been the biggest dilemma for Raducanu over the last couple of years, with Tennis365 understanding she has experimented with different strings and tensions in her rackets to try and find more power.
She appeared to be making progress in that mission as she pushed world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka close in a thrilling third round encounter at Wimbledon last month.
“It gives me confidence that I’m not as far away as I perhaps thought before the tournament,” Raducanu said, reflecting on her display against Sabalanka at Wimbledon.
“I think before previously when I was playing those top-five players, it was pretty convincing, the loss. So I think to really push Aryna it does give me confidence.
“The problem before was that I felt like I was gulfs away from the very top. Having a match like that where I had chances in both sets, it does give me confidence.
“At the same time, it’s very difficult to take right now. I’m just very self-critical. It’s hard to see. Of course, I’m very proud of being competitive on the court. I think I would rather that than it being completely one way.”
Some of that confidence will have been shaken by the defeat against Anisimova in Montreal and she will now head into the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati and the US Open fearing she will be exposed once again when she takes on one of the game’s true powerhouses.
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