Emma Raducanu could find herself seeded for this year’s second Grand Slam if she steers clear of fitness hurdles, according to tennis icon Martina Navratilova. With her game showing real signs of revival in Miami, the 2021 US Open champion is inching back toward the upper echelons of the WTA tour.
After stringing together four victories en route to the quarter-finals at the Miami Open, Raducanu is poised to re-enter the top 50 in the rankings — a significant boost considering the sluggish start to her 2024 campaign. Although she eventually fell short in a tight three-set battle against world No. 4 Jessica Pegula, her shot-making, court coverage, and tactical maturity throughout the tournament impressed fans and pundits alike. Among them, Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam singles winner, believes Raducanu is edging closer to elite territory once again.
“If she stays healthy and plays this well, then she’ll be seeded at Roland Garros,” Navratilova told Sky Sports Tennis. “I think she’ll move up the ranking well enough into the top 30. The biggest question mark is her health.
“Hopefully she can sort out her coaching situation because she’s been in a state of flux, but I think she needs to commit to somebody and stay with them for a little bit, see how that works.
“If she played like she did against Pegula, then the sky’s the limit.”
During her match against Pegula, Raducanu faced a concerning moment as she called for medical support after appearing unwell, reportedly feeling dizzy at the end of the second set. Despite the setback, she remarkably clinched the tie-break and continued fighting in the decider, reflecting a mental resolve that’s fast becoming her hallmark.
Navratilova speculated that the episode may have stemmed more from psychological pressure than physical strain, especially given the cool, late-night playing conditions in Miami.
“It was amazing. The way she looked at the end of that second set, you think this match is over and somehow she won the set, she won the tie-break, and still competed in the third but she was not feeling well,” added Navratilova.
“I think the stress contributed to that because the weather was fine, it was cool, they finished after 11pm so the weather was [not a factor]. The humidity takes it out of you a lot, but still – this was something more for Emma and it’s just amazing that she finished the match.”
Another respected voice in British tennis, Tim Henman, echoed those sentiments. A long-time backer of Raducanu since her Grand Slam breakthrough, Henman applauded the quality of tennis and tenacity she showed on court against one of the tour’s most consistent performers.
“I thought the quality of the match, the ball-striking from both women was absolutely phenomenal,” said Henman. “Pegula is number four in the world, she’s been in the US Open final, hard-court is her best tennis and Raducanu went head-to-head, toe-to-toe with her.
“When you see that level from Raducanu, not only of the tennis, but also of the movement, the resilience, the fighting spirit, if she keeps doing that then she’s getting back in the top 20, top 30 I think and that’s what we want to see.”
As Raducanu eyes her next move on the tennis calendar, speculation is swirling about her upcoming schedule. Originally penciled in to play at the WTA 250 Open de Rouen in France, it now seems likely she’ll be skipping that event. Interestingly, this change coincides with unconfirmed reports that she is no longer affiliated with Porsche, one of her headline sponsors.
Traditionally, Raducanu has featured at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart — a prestigious WTA 500 event taking place the same week as Rouen. Her previous appearances there were tied closely to her partnership with the luxury automobile brand, adding further intrigue to her current off-court narrative.
For now, fans await confirmation on where she’ll next appear on the tour. But if her Miami resurgence is any indicator, Raducanu may well be revving up for a significant comeback — one Grand Slam seed at a time.