Raducanu said her 6-1 6-2 win over Ena Shibahara was “extra special” because of the long wait to record another victory at the US Open since her 2021 title. Raducanu required just 62 minutes to dismiss Shibahara and reach the second round.

Four years ago, Emma Raducanu shocked the tennis world when she won the U.S. Open as an 18-year-old qualifier. But nearly as staggering had been Raducanu’s lack of success at Flushing Meadows since then.

Emma Raducanu set herself a target of being seeded for the first Grand Slam of 2026 and she is closing in on that goal after an emphatic win in her first match at the US Open. The British No 1 became the first player to win a completed match at Flushing Meadows this year as she hammered Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara 6-1,