Nick Kyrgios has come to Emma Raducanu`s defense as she made a strong showing in Miami.
Raducanu, aged 22, has faced a challenging period both on and off the court this year.
Earlier in 2025, she only won three out of nine matches, experiencing early exits in tournaments in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Indian Wells.
The British player also had to deal with a distressing stalking incident where a man with “fixated behaviour” followed her internationally and delivered a letter to her in Dubai, later appearing in the audience the following day.
Raducanu, who briefly deactivated her Instagram account during these unsettling times, needed to find a new coach after Nick Cavaday stepped down due to health issues.
She briefly collaborated with Tom Welsh before Vlado Platenik joined her team on a trial basis.
However, Raducanu ended their partnership over the phone after just two weeks and one match.
This coaching change happened the night before the 2021 US Open champion was set to play her first match at the Miami Open.
Raducanu achieved a dominant victory against Sayaka Ishii with a score of 6-2, 6-1 in her opening match. She then secured her first win against a top-ten player outside of grass courts by defeating world No. 10 Emma Navarro in a close match 7-6, 2-6, 7-6.
In the third round, Raducanu`s opponent, McCartney Kessler, retired due to injury when Raducanu was leading 6-1, 3-0. This продвигает the Bromley native to the round of 16, where she is set to compete against No. 17 seed Amanda Anisimova on Monday, a player she previously defeated at the Australian Open two months prior.
Amidst Raducanu`s successful run, Kyrgios expressed his support for the British player on social media.
Kyrgios, known for his outspoken nature, and who reached the second round in Miami marking his first professional singles win since October 2022, couldn`t resist taking a jab at critics.
He posted online: “People awfully quiet now that Raducanu is winning.”
“Where are all the experts now?”
“Lol, coaches are overrated.”
Kyrgios, who was a Wimbledon runner-up in 2022, is known for not having a coach throughout his professional career. He highlighted the fact that Raducanu`s strong performance in Miami occurred while she was without a formal coach.
Following Miami, the tennis season transitions to clay courts, a surface where Raducanu has historically faced challenges. However, as the world No. 60, she has fewer ranking points to defend in this part of the season, raising hopes for her to improve her ranking.
