Remember what Emma Raducanu said right at the start of this season? “I think I can be a dangerous opponent for anyone really,” that’s what she said. Although it didn’t hold great significance at the start of the season, as she faced several early exits. But Raducanu made a strong comeback in Miami, securing only the third Top-10 win of her career by beating Emma Navarro in the R64 and making her way into her first-ever WTA 1000 QF. Although the Brit eventually lost the QF to the world number 4, Jessica Pegula, she definitely impressed the fans with the way she fought. And at the end of her campaign, Raducanu didn’t forget to express her gratitude.
Jessica Pegula defeated Emma Raducanu by 6-4,6(3)-7,6-2 in a thrilling 2-hour and 25-minute contest. In the second set of this match, Raducanu played some of her best tennis. She held a 5-2 lead over the American and had four set points in the eighth game, before seeking medical attention. Why though?
Well, Raducanu had her blood pressure checked and was also given ice towels to cool down a bit before resuming the match yet again. Talking about her medical timeout, she later clarified, “I just felt really dizzy [before medical timeout]. I felt faint. It was very humid out there, and we had a long wait, so maybe it was just an accumulation.” What are her thoughts about her performance in this tournament? “I’m really proud of how I fought, I competed well throughout the match. Jessica played a really good match from start to finish and just showed her class and levels at the end, I think. Despite losing today, I can take some good positives from this week and look forward now.”
After the match, she even shared a post on her IG account with the caption, “thank you miami.” In that post, she shared glimpses of some of her magical moments from this trip. What is the tennis world saying about her impressive comeback?
Emma Raducanu‘s resilience in the quarterfinal match against Pegula didn’t go unnoticed. In fact, Jessica Pegula herself admitted, “It was tough. I played a good first set, a little letdown in the second, got it back, went up 2-0 in the tiebreak, but the it kind of flipped. She started moving the ball really well, serving good…“
And not only Pegula, but several other tennis legends showered praise on Raducanu’s incredible comeback at the Miami Open. The six-time Grand Slam winner, Boris Becker, wrote, “Nice little comeback from Emma! Onwards and Upwards.” Talking about climbing up the ladder, well, Raducanu is currently ranked 60th in the world, but with her incredible run in Miami, she is now guaranteed to return to the Top 50 on Monday. Can Raducanu keep this momentum going and rise further this season? Well, the Czech legend Martina Navratilova seems to think so.
“Sky is the limit” – Martina Navratilova on Emma Raducanu’s incredible performance against Jessica Pegula
Before this match, Emma Raducanu was leveled 1-1 in her H2H record against Jessica Pegula. It was the Brit who got the better of the American in their previous encounter in Eastbourne, and even that time, she showcased enormous grit to win a three-set thriller. Talking about Raducanu’s recent performance against Pegula, Martina Navratilova said, “It was amazing. The way she looked at the end of that second set, you think this match is over, and somehow she won the set, she won the tie-break and still competed in the third but she was not feeling well.”
Highlighting her performance in the match further, Navratilova added, “I think she’ll move up the ranking well enough into the top 30. The biggest question mark is her health. If she played like she did against Pegula, then the sky’s the limit.” Serena Williams’ former coach, Rennae Stubbs, also looked “super happy” with Emma Raducanu’s performance at the 2025 Miami Open. She said, “I just feel like with this confidence, there’s no question she can be back inside the top 10.“
Stubbs even made a bold prediction by saying, “I do believe that she can be, she’s gonna win Wimbledon. Everybody calm down.” Can Raducanu prove her right? Well, according to another tennis great, Tim Henman, these wins will definitely boost Raducanu’s confidence for the rest of the season, and all she now needs to do is to keep doing the work in the gym and on the court, and on the track. What do you think about Raducanu’s prospects going forward?
The post Emma Raducanu Embraces the Highs of Her Miami Open Resurgence After a Gritty Exit appeared first on EssentiallySports.