Emma Raducanu Scores Landmark Win but Alcaraz Crashes Out
Locker Room
March 22, 2025
Emma Raducanu stepped forward into her final shot with the air of a predator.
Seconds later, a crisp forehand had ended the hopes of world number ten Emma Navarro.
Raducanu threw away her racquet, held her head in momentary disbelief and glanced at what remains of her team.
Mark Petchey has stepped back into the breach to fill a coaching vacuum – and that seems to have done his compatriot no harm at all.
Raducanu had defeated eighth seed Emma Navarro 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 7-6 (7-3) in a classic lasting almost three hours.
Emma Raducanu looks more than capable of hitting the required level for a deep and dramatic run at Wimbledon 2025.
The former US Open champion would love to make waves at her home Grand Slam this summer.
But for now she has found some happiness in America against the odds. A split with her previous coach, some energy-sapping rallies and a second-set drubbing offered challenges enough.
Cramping, blisters and a 1-3 deficit in the decider might have finished her off. But resilient Raducanu battled back to claim her first win against a top-ten player on hard courts in Miami.
Emma said: ‘I’m really proud of how I managed to find a third wind. I was absolutely exhausted in the second – and thought my legs were going to stop.
‘In the third set I used a lot of emotion. I’ve gone through a lot and told myself I’d been through too much to leave it to her.’
Ranking her victories this year, Emma admitted: ‘That was number one because Emma is a top-ten opponent.’
She plays another American – McCartney Kessler – next. But there will be no further Miami action for reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.
He fell to 34-year-old David Goffin 7-5, 4-6, 3-6 – and expressed concerns about his form.
Carlitos explained: ‘I thought I was going to play really good tennis but it didn’t happen. I wasn’t injured but I didn’t feel well in my legs.
‘I wasn’t sick. I was feeling perfectly well before the match. In general, it was a poor level from me.’
But the manicured lawns of the All England Club always seem to bring out the best in Alcaraz. Wimbledon 2025 should be no different.
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz will be two of the star attractions at Wimbledon 2025!
Will you be there to see how Emma and Carlitos fair against the rest of the world’s best? Can Britain’s Jack Draper take the men’s singles crown instead of the Spaniard?
We can help you be there when all the drama unfolds on historic Centre Court at Wimbledon 2025. We’re waiting for your call.