Aryna Sabalenka makes worrying comment after Emma Raducanu win and calls for action

Aryna Sabalenka revealed that her three-set thriller battle against Emma Raducanu left her feeling "old" and requiring her coach's help. The world No.1 defeated the British sensation 7-6 (6-2), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) in the Round of 32 at the Cincinnati Open on Monday.

The match, which lasted three hours and nine minutes, had plenty of twists and turns, but it was the Belarusian who came out on top in their narrow third-set tiebreak, which booked Sabalenka a place in the Round of 16 against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. It was the 27-year-old's second win over Raducanu in as many months, as she previously bested the 22-year-old at Wimbledon in straight sets.

Raducanu did edge much closer to victory this time round, with new coach Francisco Roig in attendance, but she fell short of her aim. In what was the fourth-longest match of Sabalenka's career, the three-time Grand Slam winner spoke to the after her win and admitted the strenuous effort of the match in 31-degree heat left her feeling old.

"The whole time, this is what they call ageing," Sabalenka said. "I was like, 'This is what it feels like to be old'. I looked at Emma, and she was like pumped and ready to play the next point. I was there still trying to recover my breath, and I was like, 'What's going on?'"

Despite only a five-year age difference between the tennis stars, Sabalenka revealed she was forced to make contact with her fitness coach, Jason Stacy, over her mid-game concerns. She added: "I couldn't believe I was getting old, I looked at Jason [and] didn't say anything, but we need to do something because I'm getting old."

When asked whether she'd do anything different in her preparation ahead of her clash against Bouzas, Sabalenka again commented on her body feeling the strain. She continued: "Maybe we'll do extra recovery, a bit more stretching [and] mobility to make sure my old body will be able. I'll be fighting and ready, but it just sucks feeling old."

Despite her defeat, Raducanu was buoyant over her performance and said she's made progress since her defeat by Sabalenka last month. The Brit said: "She's world No. 1 for a reason. I pushed her more than I did at Wimbledon, so that's an improvement.

"Also, it was good to have this result on a hard court because it's very different to grass, and I've always thought grass suits me a lot more - and I still believe that. So to have pushed her on a hard court like that, I'm pretty proud."

Up next for Raducanu is the US Open Mixed Doubles, where she'll compete alongside Carlos Alcaraz before entering the Women's Singles at Flushing Meadows, where four years prior, she captured her first Grand Slam title at just 18 years of age.