Miami – Emma Raducanu, known for her historic victory at the 2021 US Open as a qualifier, is making waves again. Despite past injury setbacks, the 22-year-old is demonstrating her ambition to forge a new chapter in her career, and the 2025 Miami Open is proving to be an ideal stage.
Great Britain`s tennis hope continued her impressive journey through the tournament on Monday, overcoming No. 17 seed Amanda Anisimova with a decisive 6-1, 6-3 victory. This win propels Raducanu into her first-ever WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
“I`m most proud of rediscovering my competitive edge and commitment to every point,” Raducanu shared with reporters. “This intensity is something I felt was lacking in my game over the past months and even years at times.”
She added, “I’m feeling a renewed hunger and competitive spirit on the court, eager to chase down every ball. For me, that’s the biggest positive takeaway from this week.”
Raducanu revealed that adjusting her pre-match routine, including shorter warm-ups and incorporating activities like soccer, frisbee, and football, has been beneficial.
“I step onto the court with the confidence that I`ll give my all on every point,” Raducanu explained. “This approach has been effective so far. Also, during matches, I`m thinking less and playing more instinctively, which allows my creativity to flow, and that’s when I believe I play my best tennis.”
Over her last two matches, including a win where McCartney Kessler retired in the second set, Raducanu has dominated, winning 24 out of 29 games.
In Monday’s Round of 16 match, Raducanu displayed greater efficiency than her opponent, maintaining an equal count of winners and unforced errors – eight of each. In contrast, Anisimova recorded 12 winners but struggled with 37 unforced errors. The match concluded swiftly in just 69 minutes.
To put her current performance in perspective, Raducanu has now secured four consecutive main-draw wins on the WTA Tour for only the second time in her career. The first instance was her phenomenal US Open run, where she achieved seven straight victories, or ten if including her qualifying matches.
Meanwhile, Anisimova is also experiencing a career resurgence. After finishing 2024 ranked No. 36, her title win at the Doha WTA 1000 event significantly boosted her momentum. She entered Miami with an 11-4 record for the year and had reached a career-high ranking of No. 17.
With impressive wins against Anisimova and No. 8 seed Emma Navarro, Raducanu has now defeated two Top 20 players in the same tournament for the second time in her career. The first occasion, of course, was at the US Open when she defeated Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari on her path to the title.
Upcoming Match: Pegula Raducanu`s quarterfinal match will be against No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula. Pegula advanced by defeating No. 23 seed Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-3 on Monday.
Pegula has been a consistent performer at the Miami Open recently, reaching at least the quarterfinals in the past four years, including semifinal appearances in 2022 and 2023.
Pegula`s victory on Monday was also efficient. After winning the first set, she trailed 0-3 in the second but then claimed the next six games to secure a victory in one hour and 23 minutes.
Raducanu and Pegula have an even head-to-head record, with each player winning once on their home ground. Pegula won their 2022 Cincinnati hard court match in straight sets, while Raducanu upset Pegula on grass at Eastbourne last year.
