MIAMI — Emma Raducanu, famously known for her astonishing victory at the 2021 US Open where she made history as the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam as a teenager, is making waves again.
After overcoming a series of injuries in the past three and a half years, the 22-year-old Raducanu is determined to forge a new chapter in her career, and the 2025 Miami Open appears to be the perfect stage.
On Monday, representing Great Britain, Raducanu extended her remarkable journey through the tournament, overcoming No. 17 seed Amanda Anisimova with a score of 6-1, 6-3. This victory propels her into her first-ever WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
“My biggest achievement this week is rediscovering my competitive spirit and commitment to every point. I feel I`m finally tapping into that inner drive that has been missing for a while,” Raducanu shared with reporters. “This hunger and eagerness to chase every ball on the court is a significant personal victory for me this week.”
Raducanu revealed that part of her improved performance comes from adjusting her pre-match routine, incorporating activities like soccer, frisbee, and football tossing.
“I step onto the court with the confidence that I will fight for every point, every ball,” Raducanu explained. “This mindset has been effective so far. I`m also finding myself thinking less during matches, which is beneficial, allowing my natural creativity to emerge, as that’s when I believe I play my best tennis.”
In her last two matches, including a match where McCartney Kessler retired in the second set, Raducanu has impressively won 24 out of 29 games.
In Monday`s Round of 16, Raducanu demonstrated superior efficiency compared to her opponent, maintaining an equal count of winners and unforced errors, with eight of each. In contrast, Anisimova recorded 12 winners but struggled with 37 unforced errors. The match concluded in just 69 minutes.
To provide perspective, this marks only the second instance in Raducanu`s career where she has secured four consecutive main-draw victories on the WTA Tour. The first time was her phenomenal US Open run, where she won seven main-draw matches consecutively, and ten if including qualifying rounds.
Meanwhile, Anisimova is also experiencing a career resurgence. After finishing 2024 ranked No. 36, she climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 17, boosted by a title win at the Doha WTA 1000 event. She entered Miami with an 11-4 record for the year.
Raducanu`s wins against Anisimova and No. 8 seed Emma Navarro signify the second time she has defeated two Top 20 players in the same tournament. The first instance was at the US Open, where she triumphed over Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari on her path to the title.
Next opponent: Pegula: Raducanu will next face No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals. Pegula defeated No. 23 seed Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-3 on Monday.
Pegula has consistently performed well at the Miami Open, reaching the quarterfinals or better for the fourth consecutive year, including semifinal appearances in 2022 and 2023.
Pegula`s victory on Monday was also swift. Despite trailing 0-3 in the second set after winning the first, she rallied to win the next six games, securing a victory in 1 hour and 23 minutes.
Raducanu and Pegula have an equal record in their head-to-head matches, with each winning once in their respective home countries. Pegula won their 2022 Cincinnati hard court match in straight sets, while Raducanu won on grass at Eastbourne last year.
