Fasten your seatbelts! The tennis world is all set to witness the clash of two former US Open champions in Eastbourne! The 2017 winner, Sloane Stephens, will face the 2021 champion, Emma Raducanu, in the first round of the Eastbourne International. The 21-year-old British tennis star was sidelined due to injuries when the UK grass court season came around last year. However, this time, she feels he has “rekindled a light” and a “fire” is already burning inside her, but is it enough to outshine the 31-year-old American tennis star?

Sloane Stephens has already won a title this year at the Open de Rouen. She will be keen to grab a few more this season, but her lack of consistency has caused major trouble in her career. With Raducanu having the support of the home crowd, it’ll be interesting to see how well this experienced campaigner handles the pressure in this enticing encounter.

Sloane Stephens vs Emma Raducanu: Preview

Sloane Stephens is entering this tournament after her R16 loss to Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto at the Birmingham Classic. Surprisingly, Stephens failed to hit even a single ace and didn’t commit any double faults either. She won 55% of her first serve and 46% of her second serve against the Italian. Stephens converted just 1 out of her 4 breakpoints, but gave away 4 out of 8.

Stephens’ serve game is a major weakness this season, as she has hit only 27 aces and has committed 44 double faults. Furthermore, she won 69% of her service games and 34.6% of her return games this year. How well has her British opponent performed this year?

Emma Raducanu has reached one QF and one SF so far this season. She was defeated by her compatriot, Katie Boulter, in the SF of the Nottingham Open. Now, she would love to quickly forget that match and make a winning start in Eastbourne. Against Boulter, Raducanu hit seven aces and committed six double faults. She won 66% of the points on her first serve and 81% of the points on her second serve. Raducanu could only convert 2 out of 4 breakpoints, giving away 5 out of 16. 

Raducanu has hit 55 aces this season but has committed 50 double faults. She has won 68.5% of her service games and 37.1% of her return games. Both have certain weaknesses that can cause their downfall, but who had the last laugh when these players met each other almost two years ago?

Stephens vs Raducanu: Head-to-Head

Emma Raducanu leads the H2H 1-0 against Sloane Stephens. Their only match took place in the first round of the 2022 Australian Open. Raducanu won the match in three sets 6-0, 2-6, 6-1. Despite a bagel and a breadstick for herself, Raducanu committed 6 double faults as opposed to Stephens’ 1 double fault, with no aces in the clash.

Stephens won 45% of her first serve and 53% of her second serve, while it was around 66% and 60%, respectively, for Raducanu. As both had 8 chances to break each other, Raducanu did so 6 times while Stephens could only manage 3.

Prediction: Raducanu to win in three sets

Despite struggling with injuries and lack of form for most of her career, Emma Raducanu seems to be a clear favorite in this contest on her home soil. However, one must not forget that Sloane Stephens reached the SF here in 2015 with a knack for good performance on grass. Raducanu has a win-loss record of 11-8 this season, but the American has recorded 18-14.

Stephens is known for her all-court game, as she has reached the QF or better at all four majors. The American tennis star loves to stick behind the baseline, relying on her athleticism to counter her opponents. Stephens can generate great power in her shots and can swiftly turn defense into offense. The Brit is also a baseline player, but she has an aggressive style of play.

Raducanu can hit powerful groundstrokes and her best groundstroke is her two-handed backhand. She also has a strong forehand and an effective drop shot. Although Raducanu is currently ranked 168 in the world and Sloane Stephens is 45th on the list, the British tennis star will still be the favorite on this surface in front of her home crowd!