British tennis player Emma Raducanu is on the verge of breaking into the top 100 of the world rankings after reaching the third round of the US Open.

Raducanu progressed to the third round of the Grand Slam after defeating world number 49 Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-4. She is 116th in the world, a rise of 34 places from where she was at the start of the week.

The 18-year-old could move into the top 100 if she overcomes Sara Sorribes Tormo tomorrow in her next match. The Spaniard is ranked 41st in the world, and recently overcame world number one Ashleigh Barty in the opening round of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Despite the tricky opponent up next, Raducanu revealed she was growing increasingly comfortable at Flushing Meadows.

Emma Raducanu said she is feeling increasingly comfortable at the US Open

"I’ve had five matches here in New York, so I feel very comfortable with the conditions and the courts," she said.

"I’m getting more and more used to it and each round I feel I’m going for my shots more, and today I think that was evident. I think I’ve come a very long way since my first qualifying match here, but also since the first tournament of this trip five weeks ago.

"Playing at the tour level for so many weeks in a row definitely builds your confidence and I’ve been fortunate enough to win quite a few matches."

How has Emma Raducanu reached the US Open third round?

Raducanu had to play three qualifying matches to reach the main draw of the US Open. She eased past Bibiane Schoofs of the Netherlands 6-1, 6-2, before defeating Georgia’s Mariam Bolkvadze 6-3, 7-5.

A 6-1, 6-4 victory against Mayar Sherif of Egypt sealed Raducanu’s place in the main draw.

The young talent looked confident in the first round of the Grand Slam, beating Stefanie Vögele of Switzerland 6-2, 6-3. She followed this up with her triumph against Zhang.

Emma Raducanu won three qualifying matches to win the US Open

How has Emma Raducanu’s career gone so far?

Raducanu burst onto the scene at Wimbledon in June, earning widespread recognition as she progressed to the round of 16. She had made her WTA Tour debut just weeks before, and was competing at the Grand Slam as a wildcard.

Unfortunately for Raducanu, she was forced to withdraw from her round of 16 match against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović due to "breathing difficulties".

With Raducanu under increasing pressure to perform on the biggest stages in tennis, former player Tim Henman told GiveMeSport Women that fans needed to remain patient with the teenager.

"I think the most important thing is for everyone to stay patient," he said. "She’s still only 18. There’s going to be bumps in the road, they’ll be ups and downs, but she’s got a massively bright future moving forward."