Emma Raducanu suffers first round Miami Open exit to Bianca Andreescu

Emma Raducanu has had a tough enough time consolidating her career since winning the US Open as a teenager, but there have been periods when Bianca Andreescu’s experience as a former teenage grand slam champion has seemed utterly hellish. The years since her own US Open triumph in 2019 have included a torn meniscus that led to a 15 month layoff, the decision to step away for over four months last season, and considering retirement over her flatlining form and in order to address her mental health. Four years later, she is still trying to progress.

The past few weeks, though, have been a positive step forward for Andreescu and her development by halting Raducanu’s. After three tough, intense sets that rose in quality as the pressure mounted, Andreescu outfought the British No 1 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to reach the second round of the Miami Open.

In a sport that moves on so quickly, with each week presenting starkly different conditions and playing styles to conquer, one of the most difficult aspects of professional tennis is not building form, but maintaining it regardless of the challenge ahead. Raducanu enjoyed an excellent week in Indian Wells, beating two top-20 seeds, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Magda Linette, but before that tournament had even finished, she was presented with a hideous Miami Open draw.

The similarities between Andreescu and Raducanu, who were both born in Toronto and have Romanian heritage, are clear. Now 22 and 20, their respective struggles underline how difficult it is to immediately follow up suchgreat early success.

Andreescu enjoyed her own positive week in California, pushing Iga Swiatek in two intense sets during their third round match, and it was the Canadian who swiftly carried that momentum on to