Emma Raducanu’s Miami Open win against Emma Navarro also came with a small feat as the 22-year-old collected her first victory against a top-10 player on hard courts.
In what was the first meeting of the two Emmas, the British tennis star came out on top in a hard-fought battle and claimed a 7-6 (6) 2-6 7-6 (3) win versus the world No. 10 in nearly three hours of play.
For Raducanu, this was her third triumph against a player ranked inside the top-20. Her first two wins against top-10 opposition came during last year’s grass season, when she beat Jessica Pegula in Eastbourne and Maria Sakkari at Wimbledon, respectively.
1 – Emma Raducanu has made her first career top-10 win on hard court – she previously lost their first six such matches in straight sets. Beginning.#MiamiOpen | @MiamiOpen @WTA @WTA_insider
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) March 21, 2025
Raducanu edged out Navarro in the Miami second round with a late surge
In the third set, the 2021 US Open winner was 5-3 up before losing her serve in back-to-back games and giving the American a chance to serve out for the match in the 12th game. Just when it started to look like the 22-year-old would suffer a heartbreaking loss, she got the break back – dominated the third-set tie-break – and finished on the winning side.
Following the match, Raducanu said that she “played every point like my life depended on it.”
“I have really got no idea how I won that. It was a match full of ups and downs and shifts of momentum. It was so physical. It was an unbelievable match. I came here with someone and it didn’t unfortunately work out. We put some great work in,” the world No. 60 said after the match.
“Certain things I am able to do on court because of good work but in the last few days I have got good friends here who know my game and know me so well and I think just trust your gut, trust your feeling and I think that is how I got here.”
Raducanu plays next against 48th-ranked McCartney Kessler in the Miami third round.
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