Emma Raducanu appears to have taken a subtle swipe at Judy Murray following their Wimbledon disagreement, securing another victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Washington Open.
Raducanu stormed past Peyton Stearns in straight sets on Wednesday night, battling through lengthy delays caused by a sudden downpour. However, it was her social media activity that captured the attention of fans, adding another layer to the Wimbledon drama that overshadowed Andy Murray's SW19 farewell last month.
American tennis player Frances Tiafoe, also competing in Washington, commented on Raducanu's Instagram post with the message "Mixedâ¦," followed by four emojis, seemingly referencing her decision to play mixed doubles with Murray, only to withdraw due to fitness concerns and prioritize her singles campaign.
Raducanu responded to Tiafoe with the word "astonishing" and a laughing emoji â the very same word Judy Murray used to describe the situation when Raducanu announced her mixed doubles withdrawal at Wimbledon.
Several followers noticed the apparent jibe, with one replying to Raducanu, "can't understand your sarcasm," seemingly referencing Judy Murray's explanation that her reaction had been misunderstood.
This exchange came before Raducanu defeated Stearns 7-6, 6-2, adding to her opening-round victory over Elise Mertens. She will now face the winner of Thursday's match between wild card Paula Badosa and third seed Liudmila Samsonova.
The match saw Raducanu encounter a tricky period in the fourth game of the opening set, surviving two break points as her double faults mounted. However, she showed resilience to close out the game and then break her opponent in the fifth.
Stearns, ranked 51st in the world, displayed some impressive shots, but Raducanu maintained control until heavy rain interrupted play as she served to secure the first set.
After a two-hour delay, she clinched the set 7-6 (8-6) in a tie-break.
âItâs tricky today, when you get rained off at such a big moment like that. It can affect the dynamics of the match,â Raducanu said after the game. âI think I did a pretty good job of coming out pretty strong and toughing out that tie-break.â
With the first set secured, the 2021 US Open champion broke away early in the second, establishing a 3-0 lead. Raducanu, now ranked 69th, thanked the crowd for their patience during the late-night thriller.
âI knew it was going to be a tough match against Peyton, especially playing at home,â she said. âItâs been a good run for me in the last few months, I think Iâm building some momentum.â
The young talent, still managing her comeback after wrist and ankle surgery, declined the invitation to represent Team GB in Paris, as she did not want to switch back to playing on clay at Roland Garros ahead of the upcoming US Open.