Football, cornhole, a bit of golf: How Emma Raducanu finds “inner calmness” in Miami

MIAMI, USA — Emma Raducanu clinched her biggest win of the year on Friday at the Miami Open presented by Itau, and she celebrated like it too.

The 2022 US Open champion completed an electrifying 7-6 (6), 2-6, 7-6 (3) upset over Emma Navarro in the second round, and threw her racquet in delight before covering her face. After shaking hands with her opponent and the chair umpire, she walked over to her team for a round of high-fives.

These days, the 22-year-old said even her first and second-round wins are starting to feel just as meaningful as any major victory.

Read More: Dubai police detain 'fixated' man who caused Emma Raducanu distress at tennis tournament

“I know I won the US Open, but I think having been through so much in the last few years, it's like the wins now mean so much more,” Raducanu told journalists after the match. “Not necessarily ‘more’ in terms of magnitude, but I would say emotionally…

“(I’m) just a lot more aware of all of the suffering, as well. When I won the US Open, I just won 10 matches in straight sets. I didn't have, like, the losses, the downs, the months of losing streaks.”

Playing in grueling South Florida conditions and struggling with fatigue and painful blisters on both of her feet, Raducanu said she had to dig deep and find “a third wind” as she broke Navarro from 6-5 down in the third set. It was a match the Brit described as “really difficult… both physically, mentally, tennis-wise” as she needed nearly three hours on Grandstand to book her spot in the third round.

It also marked Raducanu’s first ever victory over a Top 10-ranked player on hardcourts in her career—a curious milestone for a player with a hard-court Grand Slam title to her name. Raducanu scored her only two Top 10 wins last year, both coming on grass at Eastbourne over No. 5 Jessica Pegula and at Wimbledon over No. 9 Maria Sakkari.

“It is the biggest win of the year for me so far, and if you take everything into account, I do think it probably is my best performance too,” Raducanu told Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj on Friday.

She had to channel her “inner calmness” as she battled to win both tiebreaks against Navarro—the first and last set each clocked in at over an hour—and as she broke back from 6-5 down in the third set to stay in the contest.

“I really do relish a really tight situation or a tight scenario (during difficult matches),” Raducanu told Amritraj. “I think I have this inner calmness that I tap into in those situations, whereas the other times in the match maybe I can be a little more emotional. But when it gets to 5-5 or 6-6, I just find a calmness within me. And I try not to think about it, because thinking makes things worse!”

While searching for her best tennis on the court, Raducanu admitted it’s been a tough few weeks off the court after dealing with a disturbing incident involving a “fixated” fan in Dubai. The fan was swiftly escorted off court and was detained by police, but the experience left Raducanu rattled. She now travels with her own personal security and leans on her tight-knit circle for emotional support.

Read More: Emma Raducanu thanks fans after Dubai incident, as Iga Swiatek says WTA must protect players

“My goal is to just get to a place where I feel a lot more set and stable with my surroundings,” Raducanu told press in Miami. “This week I have amazing people who have known me for a very long time. I feel very secure and happy and wanting to fight for them, as well. It's a really nice feeling.

"It has been quite emotional, and it's taken a lot out of me, but I'm just so happy to be fighting here. All the wins here just give me extra fuel, extra energy.”

It has been quite emotional, and it's taken a lot out of me, but I'm just so happy to be fighting here. All the wins here just give me extra fuel, extra energy.

Raducanu relishes having an extra day off in between matches at the WTA 1000-level event to focus on her recovery—a crucial part of the process for a player who has long been plagued by injuries. Having struggled physically with back, feet, ankle and wrist issues over the years, Raducanu underwent surgery on both wrists and her ankle in 2023.

“This week I have been trying to keep it more relaxed, I would say, not necessarily being ‘in the zone’ 100 percent of the time,” Raducanu revealed. “Like, I'm learning how to throw an American football, so that has become my warmup.”

“My trainer has been teaching me, because he's lived in America and knows how to throw it really well,” she added. “I have just been working on tightening the spiral a little bit!”

With the Miami Open’s unique setup featuring its Stadium Court inside the Hard Rock Stadium and built up directly on the turf, the players area features ample room for players and their teams to mill about and relax, or use the field to stretch and warm up before matches.

“The first 30 minutes of my warmup is like sports day,” Raducanu explains. Her team typically cycles through American football, soccer and cornhole with her, with a bit of golf and Frisbee for variety.

“That's been keeping me entertained, but it's also a great pulse raiser. I find it easier to put more effort in when we're playing American football and running to catch it rather than running in a straight line. It's a lot more fun.”

Through to the third round in Miami for the first time, Raducanu will face 25-year-old American McCartney Kessler next on Sunday. Kessler, who previously stunned world No. 3 Coco Gauff in Dubai, defeated 30th seed Linda Noskova to advance.