Nick Kyrgios has shown his support for Emma Raducanu during her strong showing in Miami.
Raducanu, 22, has faced challenges both on and off the court at the beginning of this year.
She had a tough start to 2025, winning only three of her first nine matches and experiencing early exits in tournaments like Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Indian Wells.
The British player also went through a distressing stalking incident where a man with concerning behavior followed her internationally and approached her with a letter in Dubai, later appearing in the audience at another event.
Amid these difficulties, Raducanu, who briefly stepped away from Instagram, had to find a new coach because Nick Cavaday had to leave his position due to health issues.
She briefly worked 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 right before the 2021 US Open champion was set to play her first match at the Miami Open.
In the Miami Open, Raducanu achieved a dominant victory against Sayaka Ishii with a score of 6-2, 6-1 in the first round. She then secured her first win against a top-ten player outside of grass courts by defeating world No. 10 Emma Navarro 7-6, 2-6, 7-6.
Raducanu`s opponent in the third round, McCartney Kessler, retired due to injury when the score was 6-1, 3-0 in Raducanu`s favor. This продвигает Raducanu 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.
During Raducanu`s winning streak, Kyrgios used social media to voice his support for her.
The often-controversial Australian player, who himself reached the second round in Miami marking his first professional singles win since October 2022, couldn`t resist making a playful jab at those who criticize Raducanu.
He posted: “People awfully quiet that Radacanu is winning now. Where all the experts at now? Lol coach’s overrated.”
Kyrgios, who was a Wimbledon runner-up in 2022, is known for not having a coach throughout his professional career. He seemed to enjoy pointing out that Raducanu`s successful run in Miami happened while she was without a permanent coach.
Following Miami, the tennis season transitions to clay courts, a surface where Raducanu has historically found more challenging. However, as she doesn`t have many ranking points to defend during this part of the season, she will hope to improve her world ranking from her current position of No. 60.
