Emma Raducanu opened her 2025 Miami Open campaign with a decisive 6-2, 6-1 victory over Japanese teenager Sayaka Ishii on March 19 at Hard Rock Stadium. The 22-year-old British player, ranked No. 61 in the world, needed just 63 minutes to dispatch her opponent in the first round, advancing to face eighth seed Emma Navarro next. Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, controlled the match from the start, breaking Ishii’s serve early in both sets. She won 80% of her first-serve points and converted four of six break-point opportunities, according to official statistics.
The win comes after a recent split with trial coach Vladimir Platenik, who worked with her for only two weeks. Raducanu said she felt “really good” on court and is focused on building momentum. The former Grand Slam winner has struggled with injuries and form since her 2021 breakthrough but showed no signs of rust against Ishii. Her next opponent, Navarro, presents a tougher test after reaching the fourth round at Indian Wells earlier this month. The second-round match is set for March 21.
Elsewhere, Nick Kyrgios marked his return to competitive tennis with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over American Mackenzie McDonald. The Australian, absent from the ATP Tour for over two years due to wrist and knee injuries, will face Karen Khachanov next. In other women’s results, Australia’s Kimberly Birrell rallied to win a three-set match, saving a match point, while Ajla Tomljanović lost 6-3, 6-2 to Bernarda Pera.
Meanwhile, Jacob Fearnley earned a spot in the second round of the Miami Open with victory over Benjamin Bonzi. A close battle lasting two hours and 19 minutes saw the Briton claim a 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 6-4 win, and he will now meet world number two and top seed Alexander Zverev. Little separated Fearnley and Bonzi in the first set as both players held their serve to reach a tiebreaker, where qualifier Fearnley edged ahead to take the second set point of the match.
Another tight encounter followed at the start of the second, but Bonzi suddenly pulled away after breaking the Briton’s serve twice to win the set. Prior to the third set, Fearnley took a medical timeout because of a leg injury. Following another closely-contested set, the 23-year-old managed to see the match out to reach the last 64. Speaking to Sky Sports, Fearnley said, “That was extremely difficult, I was feeling my legs, especially my left leg twitching a little bit when I moved to a forehand. Just had to dig deep and luckily I got the break at the start of the third because I think that could have easily got away from me. Super happy to get the win and to move on.”
Fearnley’s victory marks a significant milestone in his career, as he is set to become Britain's second leading men's player, surpassing Cameron Norrie, who suffered a first-round exit in Miami after a 6-4, 6-2 loss to Yunchaokete Bu. Norrie had his serve broken in the opening game and trailed for most of the match as Bu secured his victory.
Meanwhile, in the women's draw, third seed Coco Gauff dominated fellow American Sofia Kenin, winning 6-0, 6-0 to progress to the third round. Gauff, who is aiming to win her maiden Miami title, won 84% of her first-serve points, saved the one break point she faced, and converted six of nine break points during the 47-minute match.
Now, Gauff will face Ashlyn Krueger, who stunned seventh seed Elena Rybakina 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. For Krueger, victory over the former Wimbledon champion marked the first top-10 win of her career. In men’s results, Reilly Opelka earned his first ATP Masters 1000 win since 2022 with a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over American wildcard Christopher Eubanks. On the other hand, former finalist Kei Nishikori withdrew from his Miami opener, citing the need for more time to recover after reaching the semi-finals of an ATP Challenger Tour event last week.
As the second round of the Miami Open unfolds, top-seeded players are set to make their appearance. Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will both debut on March 21, with Djokovic pitted against Rinky Hijikata at 3:00 PM local time and Alcaraz facing David Goffin later that night. This tournament continues to offer intriguing matchups and captivating performances as players vie for the title.
