On a sun-drenched Sunday in Miami, British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu is gearing up for an electrifying third-round showdown at the Miami Open. The 22-year-old, currently ranked 60th in the world, has already turned heads with a gritty performance earlier this week, clawing her way past world No. 10 Emma Navarro in a thrilling three-set battle that lasted nearly three hours. Now, she’s set to take on another formidable American, McCartney Kessler, ranked 48th globally, in what promises to be a captivating clash of resilience and raw talent.
Raducanu’s journey to this point has been nothing short of inspiring. After breezing through her opening match against Japanese wildcard Sayaka Ishii with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 victory, she faced a monumental test against Navarro. The match was a rollercoaster of momentum shifts, with Raducanu snatching the first set in a tiebreak, 7-6 (8-6), only to falter in the second, dropping it 2-6 as blisters and exhaustion took their toll. But the 2021 US Open champion refused to buckle. In a dramatic third set, she trailed 3-1 and seemed on the brink of defeat, yet summoned a “third wind” to reel off four straight games and eventually clinch the decider 7-6 (7-3) in another nail-biting tiebreak. “I’m really proud of how I managed to find a third wind,” she said afterward, her voice tinged with both exhaustion and elation. “I was absolutely exhausted in the second set and thought my legs were going to stop. In the third set, I used a lot of emotion. I’ve gone through a lot and told myself I’d been through too much to leave it to her.”
That victory marked Raducanu’s third career win against a top-10 opponent and her first on hard courts—a milestone she ranks as her best of the season. “It’s number one because Emma is a top-10 opponent, and I haven’t beaten one this year,” she reflected, still beaming from the triumph. Now, with her confidence surging, she’s poised to face Kessler, a rising star who’s been making waves of her own on the WTA Tour.
Kessler, a 25-year-old from Georgia, has enjoyed a breakout 2025, rocketing up the rankings with a tenacity that’s hard to ignore. She’s fresh off an impressive comeback against 30th-ranked Linda Noskova, battling back from a set down to win 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) in the second round. Earlier, she outlasted Marie Bouzkova in another three-set thriller, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Kessler’s season has been a story of ascent—she claimed her maiden WTA title in Cleveland last August, followed by a second in Hobart this January, and even upset world No. 3 Coco Gauff in Dubai last month with a 6-4, 7-5 stunner. “I know she’s a really tough opponent,” Raducanu said of Kessler, her tone laced with respect. “I just saw the end of her match in Dubai with Coco, so you know, she’s been playing really well and winning a lot of matches recently, in great form.”
This third-round encounter, set for Sunday, March 23, marks the first meeting between Raducanu and Kessler, adding an extra layer of intrigue. Raducanu, the British No. 2, has been navigating a turbulent year—marked by injuries, a stalking ordeal in Dubai, and a revolving door of coaches—yet her performance in Miami signals a resurgence. She’s currently without a full-time coach, having parted ways with Vladimir Platenik after a brief trial, but has found stability with familiar faces like Mark Petchey, a seasoned British tennis figure, in her corner. “I don’t think it’s been an easy couple of months,” she admitted. “I have had a lot going on on and off the court. My goal is to just get to a place where I feel a lot more set and stable with my surroundings.”
Kessler, meanwhile, brings her own momentum. Standing at 5’9” and known for her hard-hitting style, she’s transformed from a defensive player into a force on hard courts, a surface where all her career finals have been contested. With local support and a projected climb to a career-high ranking of 42 after Miami, she’s a dangerous wildcard in this matchup.
As the Miami Open unfolds, this clash promises fireworks. Raducanu’s flair and fighting spirit will meet Kessler’s consistency and power in a battle that could propel either player into the fourth round—and perhaps signal a defining moment in their 2025 campaigns. For Raducanu, it’s another chance to prove her doubters wrong; for Kessler, it’s an opportunity to cement her status as a rising star. Tennis fans won’t want to miss it.
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