Serena Williams' ex-coach makes feelings known on Emma Raducanu amid Brit's impressive Miami Open run

Acclaimed coach Rick Macci has welcomed Emma Raducanu's rediscovered confidence after the Brit's impressive progress at the Miami Open. The 2021 US Open champion has struggled to recapture the form that won her that title nearly four years ago. After four impressive wins in Miami, the 22-year-old appeared to be getting back to her best.

Macci is a seven-time USPTA national coach of the year and a USPTA Hall-of-Famer. He coached top players like Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova, but most famously guided Serena and Venus Williams when the sisters were just starting out.

Macci was full of praise for Raducanu following her fourth-round demolition of 17th seed Amanda Anisimova. Sharing on X, the American coaching icon picked out the Briton's confidence as a key factor in her success. He posted:

"Confidence is a fleeting item that Emma could not buy over the Internet. When you have the BIG C you swing a little more Free. When you have the BIG C you feel you have a little more Time and have more mental options to hit it on a Dime."

Macci is a hugely respected voice in the world of tennis. He was immortalized in the movie King Richard, which starred Will Smith as the Williams siblings' enigmatic father.

In Miami, Emma Raducanu has reached her first-ever WTA 1000 quarterfinal

Miami Open Presented by Itau 2025 - Day 7 - Source: Getty

By making it to the quarterfinals in Miami, Emma Raducanu has achieved a number of career firsts. It's her first appearance in a WTA 1000 last 8 and only the second time she's won four consecutive main-draw matches on tour. The first and only time she managed that feat was during her US Open win in 2021.

In her last two matches, against Americans McCartney Kessler and Anisimova, Raducanu won an astonishing 24 out of 29 games. Both players may have been struggling with an injury - Kessler retired from their match at 1-6, 0-3 - but that shouldn't detract from Raducanu's impressive tennis, particularly an improved and potent serve and high-quality defense.

After the 6-1, 6-3 drubbing of Anisimova, Raducanu revealed in her post-match interview, reported by wtatennis.com, that her hunger to win has returned after an injury-hit last couple of years.

“The biggest thing I’m proud of is just finding the competitive spirit and being there for every ball and drawing that out of myself,” Raducanu told reporters afterward. “I think that’s kind of been missing in the last few months and even a few years at times. Just feeling a lot of hunger, feeling on the court competitive, wanting to run down every ball, and that’s the biggest win I would say from this week.”

Competitive spirit and hunger are allied to the confidence talked about by Rick Macci. Emma Raducanu will need all her confidence and resilience for her next match against Jessica Pegula, for whom Miami has been a favorite tournament. The American reached the semifinals in 2022 and 2023 and is fit and in form.