Emma Raducanu delivered a composed and consistent performance to secure her place in the second round of the Miami Open for the first time, defeating Japanese wildcard Sayaka Ishii 6-2, 6-1. Her next challenge will be against eighth seed Emma Navarro.
Following her victory, Raducanu emphasized her determination and focus, explaining that her main objective was to compete hard on every point. She expressed satisfaction in her ability to bring energy and competitiveness to the match, qualities she felt had been lacking in recent months. The straight-sets win in under two and a half hours was a significant confidence boost.
However, alongside her win, Raducanu’s search for stability in her coaching team continues. She parted ways with Vladimir Platenik just two weeks into their trial period. Platenik had been working with her since Indian Wells, where he watched her first-round loss to Moyuka Uchijima. Despite an initial plan to trial their partnership until the French Open, the decision was made to end the arrangement early.
In Platenik’s absence, Raducanu’s support team in Miami included LTA coach Colin Beecher, former player and family friend Jane O’Donoghue, and fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura. O’Donoghue has periodically assisted Raducanu over the past three and a half years.
Raducanu benefited from a favorable opening-round draw against Ishii, a former top-five junior player still transitioning to the professional level. Although Ishii showed flashes of talent, particularly with her powerful forehand, her aggressive style resulted in numerous unforced errors. After breaking back to level the first set at 2-2, Ishii’s resistance faded as Raducanu’s steadiness exposed the gap in their respective levels.
For Raducanu, every win is valuable, especially during a challenging stretch. She had lost five of her previous six matches before this victory, and her struggles were compounded by off-court difficulties, including being pursued by a stalker across tournaments in Asia earlier in the year. This distressing experience disrupted her preparations for Indian Wells, but she has since had two weeks to reset and refocus.
This win provides Raducanu with a chance to assess her progress against a top-tier opponent in Navarro. A stronger challenge awaits in the second round, where she will need to build on the consistency and composure she displayed against Ishii.
Meanwhile, British No. 1 Katie Boulter faced disappointment in her Miami Open campaign, falling 6-4, 6-2 to American Peyton Stearns. Boulter, returning from a foot injury, struggled to find her rhythm against her talented opponent and exited the tournament in the first round.
