Raducanu Secures Career First as Djokovic Matches Nadal’s Record at Miami Open
Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu reached a significant milestone in her career with a hard-fought victory over Emma Navarro in the second round of the Miami Open. The former US Open champion delivered an impressive three-set performance, securing a 7-6(6), 2-6, 7-6(3) win in just under three hours.
This victory marked a breakthrough moment for the 22-year-old, as it was her first-ever win against a top-10 opponent on a hard court. Prior to this match, Raducanu had struggled against top-ranked players on the surface, losing all six of her previous encounters in straight sets. During her 2021 US Open title run, the highest-ranked player she defeated was then-world No. 11 Belinda Bencic.
Raducanu displayed resilience in the first set, saving two set points in a tense tie-break to take the early lead. However, Navarro responded strongly, dominating the second set, which lasted just 36 minutes, to level the match.
Raducanu Ends Top-10 Losing Streak in Dramatic Fashion
The American continued her momentum by breaking Raducanu at the start of the final set, but the British player fought back to even the score at 3-3. The set saw several dramatic shifts, with both players failing to hold serve when attempting to close out the match. Ultimately, Raducanu took control in the decisive tie-break, overcoming eight double faults to advance to the third round for the first time in her career at this tournament.
Raducanu now awaits the winner of the second-round clash between Linda Noskova and McCartney Kessler. If she continues her run, she could potentially face Indian Wells champion Mirra Andreeva in the last 16.
Djokovic Matches Nadal’s Masters Record
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic achieved another historic milestone in his storied career. The Serbian equaled Rafael Nadal’s record for the most ATP 1000 match wins since the series was introduced in 1990.
Djokovic comfortably defeated Rinky Hijikata 6-0, 7-6(1) to claim his 410th Masters-level victory. With his next match against lucky loser Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the third round, Djokovic has the opportunity to set a new all-time record of 411 Masters wins.