Wimbledon 2025: Emma Raducanu motivated after Aryna Sabalenka loss

Emma Raducanu has said while her defeat to Aryna Sabalenka is tough to take, she feels motivated to keep improving having given the world No. 1 a serious test at Wimbledon on Friday.

Sabalenka won 7-6, 6-5 to advance to the round of 16, but Raducanu often had the better of her opponent as she was cheered on by a jubilant home crowd in London.

“It is difficult to take right now,” Raducanu said. “It’s hard to take a loss like that but at the same time I’ve pushed Aryna, who is a great champion, so I have to be proud.”

After clear improvements in Raducanu’s recent form, the 22-year-old said she was determined to keep getting better.

The British No. 1 also acknowledged her performance will be confidence boosting in the long run.

“It’s going to take me a few days to process, but at the same time it really motivates me,” Raducanu said.

“It could be a good thing that I want to get straight back to work pretty much because it’s not far but there’s still a lot of things I want to do better. … To solidify my game so in the big moments I feel like I can back myself a little bit more.”

Raducanu’s attention now turns to the American hard-court leg of the season ahead of the US Open in August.