Emma Raducanu’s US Open campaign is just one day away, and the Brit will fancy her chances of getting her campaign off to a successful start.
It has been four years since the Brit’s stunning triumph in New York, though she has been unable to win a match at the tournament since then.
However, she has been handed a kinder first-round draw in 2025, with the Brit set to face qualifier Ena Shibahara.
The Japanese, who represented the US until 2019, has found huge success on the doubles courts across her career, and is now looking to make her mark as a singles player.
Here, we look at all you need to know about the woman looking to shock Raducanu at Flushing Meadows.
Doubles success
Though she is now plying her trade largely as a singles player, Shibahara’s biggest successes have come on the doubles court.
The Japanese is, in fact, a Grand Slam champion in mixed doubles, partnering Wesley Koolhof to win the French Open back in 2022.
Shibahara is also a former US Open mixed doubles semi-finalist, and reached a career-high of world No 4 on the WTA Tour doubles rankings.
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The 27-year-old is the winner of 11 WTA Tour doubles titles, including WTA 1000 crowns at the 2021 Miami Open and 2023 Canadian Open, and was a finalist at the 2023 Australian Open.
Partnering compatriot Shuko Aoyama, the pair stunned second seeds Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in the last four, before falling to Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova in the final.
Recent seasons have seen Shibahara focus more significantly on singles, though she is still ranked as the world No 65 in the WTA doubles rankings.
Singles career
Currently ranked as the world No 130, Shibahara reached her career-high singles ranking of world No 116 back in July.
To date, the biggest title she has won in her singles career came at W35 level, beating rising US star Iva Jovic at the ITF Spring event in February last year.
The Japanese has since gone on to reach a further four ITF Tour finals, as well as compete in Grand Slam qualifying.
Shibahara was beaten in round one of Australian Open qualifying earlier this year, though she reached the second round of qualifying at Roland Garros and the final round at Wimbledon.
However, this is the second straight year she has qualified for the US Open main draw.
Unseeded, the 27-year-old progressed through the qualifying draw twelve months ago and then beat Daria Saville for her first Grand Slam main-draw win, before defeat to top seed Iga Swiatek.
Shibahara was seeded 20th in qualifying this year and did not drop a set to reach the main draw, defeating Kayla Day, Elena Pridankina, and sixth seed Varvara Gracheva.
Head-to-head
This is not the first time that Raducanu and Shibahara have met on tour, with the two previously facing off at the Nottingham Open last year.
Raducanu was still making her way back up the WTA Rankings at that point, though she was a comprehensive winner over Shibahara, who had come through qualifying at the WTA 250 event.
The Brit beat Shibahara 6-1, 6-4 to progress through the opening round, and would go on to reach the last four.
Start time
US Open action begins on a Sunday for the first time this year, and Raducanu and Shibahara have the privilege of opening play on one of the tournament’s biggest courts.
This round-one match is scheduled to take place on Court Louis Armstrong at 11 am New York time (4 pm UK time), among the very first matches of this year’s tournament.
The winner will face qualifier Janice Tjen or 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova in the second round on Wednesday.
The post Who is Emma Raducanu’s US Open Round 1 opponent? Qualifier and Slam winner Ena Shibahara appeared first on Tennis365.
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