"Really happy that she's back at it & playing like this": Bianca Andreescu backs Emma Raducanu to return to top 10 once again after Miami Open showing

Bianca Andreescu praised Emma Raducanu after their encounter in Miami
Bianca Andreescu praised Emma Raducanu after their encounter in Miami

Bianca Andreescu praised Emma Raducanu after their thrilling first-round encounter at the 2023 Miami Open.

The fixture between the two former US Open champions lived up to the hype, with Andreescu booking her place in the second round by beating Raducanu 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 with an impressive showing.

The Canadian was asked about her opponent during her post-match press conference, where she heaped praise on the 20-year-old. Andreescu claimed that Raducanu was playing some great tennis and backed her to return to the top 10 of the WTA rankings once again.

"I think she's playing great tennis. Honestly, it's super nice to see that because she hasn't been playing that much. Injuries, this and that. I can relate in a way. I mean, not at that scale. Yeah, I'm really happy that she's back at it and playing like this. If she continues playing like this, she can definitely get back into the top 10," Bianca Andreescu said.

Speaking of her own performance, Andreescu was proud that she managed to hold the match well, as it could have gone either way.

"What I did well was just sticking with it. I'm just going to use that word today because it could have went either way. I just held in the points, tried to be aggressive when I could. Yeah, I think my serve went well today. I hit seven aces, which is very rare for me, no double-faults, so I'm very pleased," the 22-year-old said.

Bianca Andreescu hoping to speak to Emma Raducanu regarding their similarities

Bianca Andreescu in action at the BNP Paribas Open
Bianca Andreescu in action at the BNP Paribas Open

Emma Raducanu and Bianca Andreescu share quite a few things in common, like their Romanian ancestry and the fact that they both won the US Open as teenagers.

Andreescu was asked if she spoke to Raducanu about the things they have in common and how to deal with success at a young age. The Canadian responded by expressing her desire to have a word with the Brit about the same, adding that the two could help out one another.

"No. But I would honestly really, really like to speak to her because of that, because of our similarities. I mean, she's also Romanian. She was born in Toronto, which is super, super crazy. Definitely I would love to speak to her, for sure. Maybe we can help each other out," Andreescu said.

The Canadian will next face Maria Sakkari in the second round, with the winner facing either Sofia Kenin or Anhelina Kalinina in the third round.