British duo hope to shine at Miami Open

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Four years ago, British teen Emma Raducanu burst onto the tennis scene by becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam at the 2021 US Open.

The world was her oyster but soon the phenom fizzled. She fired her longtime coach and started a precipitous fall from world No. 10 to her current 60. While making millions in endorsements because of her camera-friendly appearance, Raducanu became the media darling, particularly in the United Kingdom.

 Now, 22, the fan favorite has dealt with a myriad of injuries, including surgeries on her ankle and both hands in May 2023. Raducanu hasn’t won another tournament and hasn’t gotten past the round of 16 at any Slam.

However, on a picturesque Wednesday afternoon at the Miami Open presented by Itau, Raducanu was all smiles as she coasted to a 6-2, 6-1 victory over 188^th-ranked Sayaka Ishii of Japan, on Stadium Court to advance to a battle of Emmas against eighth-seeded American Emma Navarro.

The spotlight isn’t shining as bright on Raducanu now that fellow Brit Jack Draper notched the most significant title of his career last week at the Indian Wells Masters 1000 by taking out a litany of high-profile opponents, including No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion in the desert; Holger Rune, a former No. 4, in a routine 6-2, 6-2 final. He also dispatched big-serving Ben Shelton, fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz and Brazil’s rising star, Joao Fonseca, in the earlier rounds.

“I’m so happy for Jack. I’ve known him for such a long time,’’ said Raducanu, who had dropped six of her previous seven matches before notching her first match win in her third Miami Open.

“It’s just so nice to see him doing well and I know he’s had his fair share of challenges so to see him overcome that I’m really pleased with it. Yes, he has a big spotlight, but I don’t think it necessarily takes it all the way from me. I definitely feel certain things but I’m happy to see him kind of front and center and shining, the golden boy right now.”

The ‘golden boy’ met with the press to discuss his newfound fame and tennis success which has seen him rise up the rankings from 42^nd to a career-high seven over the past year. Draper said his run to the US Open semis last summer boosted his confidence and showed him how the hard work was paying off.

“It gives me more confidence and more inner belief than I had before,’’ said the 6-foot-4, 23-year-old Draper. “In all honesty it feels amazing to win a Masters 1000 and feels amazing to beat the players I did. I think beating six players back to back who were top-top players, is really important for me to sort of do that, but at the same time I feel like I’ve been building towards this and so I feel like I’ve really improved in the back end of last year.

“I was on a really good run. I felt great about everything, mentally and physically and had a bit of a blip with an injury and then almost had to start again on my progress from last year.