Emma Raducanu will receive a six-figure sum despite her defeat to Jessica Pegula, the world’s richest tennis player, at the Miami Open. The young Brit fought hard but was unable to get the job done, with her opponent claiming a 6-4 6-7 6-2 victory. Pegula will face Alexandra Eala, the surprise package of the tournament, in the semi-finals on Friday.
Her victory in the last eight means Raducanu is still waiting to end her trophy drought, which stretches back to her US Open triumph in 2021. She showed plenty of promise in the early stages of the Miami Open, beating the likes of Emma Navarro and Amanda Anisimova, but was undone by Pegula in spite of her best efforts.
The good news for Raducanu is that she will receive a consolation prize of £145,785 for reaching the quarter-finals, in addition to 200 ranking points. If she had beaten Pegula to book a place in the last four, she would have been guaranteed at least £256,143.
The eventual champion will take home a jackpot of £867,251, with the losing finalist receiving £461,122. There has been equal prize money for men and women at the Miami Open for the last 19 years and that trend continues for 2025.
Raducanu was involved in a worrying moment during her defeat to Pegula when she needed medical attention on the court. A doctor was called to apply cold towels and blocks of ice to her skin with the aim of lowering her body temperature.
Speaking afterwards, Raducanu explained that she did not know what caused the problem but admitted to struggling with the energy-sapping conditions.
“I just felt really dizzy, I felt faint,” she said. “I don’t know, it was very humid out there and we had a long wait, so maybe just an accumulation [of things] and just physical points as well and there were long rallies and heavy conditions.”
Daniel Herman, an expert nutritionist and personal trainer with 28 years of experience, suggested that Raducanu’s team could have done more to help her cope with the Miami weather.
He told Express Sport: “In a sport like tennis, where matches can go on for a long time without significant breaks, it’s easier for the body to get overheated. From my experience working with athletes, the first thing is acclimatisation.
“Could Emma have got out to Miami earlier to acclimatise to the weather? Have her team taken into account the change in temperature and climate in terms of her hydration strategy?
“When athletes are feeling dizzy, light-headed or nauseous, this is usually a result of dehydration and certainly an athlete, you’d recommend they were taking a isotonic or electrolyte drink to take lots of fluids quickly and maintain that balance.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk