Jessica Pegula Not Surprised by Emma Raducanu’s Upset Win Over Emma Navarro
Jessica Pegula wasn’t shocked to see Emma Raducanu take down world No. 10 Emma Navarro at the Miami Open, as the 2024 US Open runner-up firmly believes the Brit has the talent to compete with the best when she’s at peak form.
Heading into Miami, Raducanu, ranked No. 60, had struggled with form, losing six of her last seven matches. However, she has looked like a different player in Florida, dominating Sayaka Ishii 6-2, 6-1 before pulling off a stunning 7-6 (6), 2-6, 7-6 (3) win over No. 8 seed Navarro.
Her second-round victory was particularly impressive, as she not only defeated a top-10 player but also denied Navarro a chance to serve out the match in the third set—before completely taking over in the tie-break, all while playing against Navarro’s home crowd.
“When she’s playing at a top level, she belongs with the top players. I just think she struggled a little bit with injuries, finding consistency,” Pegula said about Raducanu.
Pegula: Raducanu Took a Weight Off Her Shoulders
Raducanu’s win marked her first top-10 victory on hard courts, with her previous two coming on grass last season. Interestingly, Pegula was the first top-10 player Raducanu ever defeated, falling to the Brit in Eastbourne last summer.
“I can understand why she was probably a little emotional. Winning two matches at a WTA 1000 and beating a top-10 player—that’s massive,” Pegula noted. “Sometimes it takes a physical and mental battle to get through that. And in that moment, you’re thinking, ‘My gosh, how am I going to do this? Not again?’ For her to come back in the third and win the tiebreaker, I’m sure she feels like there’s a monkey off her back.”
Now, there’s a possibility that Raducanu and Pegula could meet in the Miami Open quarterfinals, setting up an exciting showdown between the two.
