"You reap what you sow" - Ahead of crucial Jessica Pegula match, former pro addresses Emma Raducanu's form at Miami Open

Former British tennis star Tim Henman has weighed in on Emma Raducanu's impressive Miami Open run. Raducanu is going to face Jessica Pegula in her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal.

Henman was recently announced as the vice captain of Team Europe at the Laver Cup. He will join Team Europe captain Yannick Noah to help them retain their crown. The Brit sat down with Prakash Amritraj on Tuesday (March 25) for an interview with the Tennis Channel, where he talked about Raducanu's run in Miami.

Henman initially credited Andy Murray for influencing British tennis and paving the way for talents such as Indian Wells champion Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie, Katie Boulter and Raducanu. Speaking about Raducanu's run to the quarterfinal in Miami, he praised her work on fitness.

"I think when you reflect post-US Open 2021, when she qualified and won it, she didn’t have the physicality to keep competing. She was breaking down with injuries, and now she’s worked incredibly hard on that fitness side. She’s built the resilience to be out on tour," Henman said. [5:33 onwards]

He continued:

"Now, admittedly, the results haven’t necessarily come so far, but I believe that you reap what you sow. What you put in, you get out. And now, the hard yards that she’s done on the track, in the gym, and on the practice court—her tennis level, I never doubt that. But I think she’s got the foundation to build from."

Raducanu hired Japanese strength and conditioning coach Yutaka Nakamura in the offseason. He has worked with Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka previously. The Brit admitted that her work with Nakamura is showing little by little.

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Tim Henman called Emma Raducanu the "underdog" going into the Miami Open QF against Jessica Pegula

Emma Raducanu at the Miami Open - Source: Getty

Speaking about Emma Raducanu's upcoming Miami Open quarterfinal against Jessica Pegula, Tim Henman said [5:22 onwards]:

"I think she goes into that match as the underdog, but I think that’s quite how Emma Raducanu likes it sometimes."

Raducanu accumulated multiple early losses this season, but she has rejuvenated her form in Miami. The 22-year-old has put up some impressive performances, including against eighth seed Emma Navarro and 17th seed Amanda Anisimova.

"You see her performances first-hand in Miami. She’s played great tennis. She’s through to the first quarter of a Masters 1000, and she’s got a big match, but a big opportunity against Jess Pegula," Henman added. [6:08 onwards]

In her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal, Raducanu will take on fourth seed American Pegula. This will be the third battle between the pair, with their head-to-head currently tied at 1-1.