Radukanou’s meeting with former Australian champion Azarenka comes less than 24 hours after the Brit sent tennis icon Serena Williams into a much-hyped generational clash. Despite overwhelming support for the soon-to-be-retired Williams, the 19-year-old remained unconcerned throughout the match and cruised to a 6-4, 6-0 victory against the tennis legend. The US Open champion can expect a sterner test against world No. 22 Azarenka, who has been a mainstay on the women’s scene for the past decade. It will be Raducanu’s first time facing the two-time Grand Slam winner and the youngster has already targeted the match as another chance to learn from “a great champion”. “I remember most recently when he was playing in the US Open and he went to the final in 2020. I was studying for my exams,” Raducanu said. “I hadn’t played tennis in months, and I just dreamed that one day I would play on Ashe, and one day I would be at this level and play these great players myself. Everything felt so far away. “Obviously with the last year I had, I get a lot of exposure to these great players, and every time you play them, you learn from them as well and what they do really well that helped them in their careers.” Raducanu, who is currently ranked No.10 in the world, will be looking to maintain some consistency as she continues her preparations for this month’s US Open after a mixed year since her historic success at Flushing Meadows. It’s a busy night for the Brit, who also competes in the doubles later tonight with this year’s Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, meaning she faces a quick turnaround after that match.
