Emma Raducanu has begun fine-tuning her game ahead of her campaign at the Miami Open. The Brit was recently seen in a clip practicing with her hitting partner Alexis Canter, after which she engaged in a lighthearted social media exchange, playfully defending her net skills.
Emma Raducanu Playfully Defends Her Net Skills in Witty Social Media Exchange, as Practice Clip With Hitting Partner Makes Waves
Raducanu has struggled to find her rhythm so far in 2026 and will be hoping to turn things around at the upcoming Miami Open. The former US Open champion reached the quarterfinals at the Hobart International, exited in the second round of the Australian Open, and later finished runner-up at the Winners Open, where she fell to Sorana Cîrstea.
Her Middle Eastern swing also failed to deliver the desired results, as Raducanu suffered first-round exits at the Qatar Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. She most recently competed at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, opening her campaign with a convincing 6-1, 6-3 victory over Anastasia Zakharova. But her run quickly lost momentum as Amanda Anisimova handed her a 6-1, 6-1 defeat, resulting in another early exit.
However, the Brit will be hoping to turn the tide at the upcoming Miami Open. Raducanu has already begun her preparations and was recently seen in a lighthearted practice session alongside her hitting partner Alexis Canter. In the clip, the duo rallied against another partner positioned on the opposite side of the net, with Raducanu gradually moving forward toward the net while Canter remained at the baseline to keep the rally going.
MORE: Emma Raducanu Tells It Like It Is After What Amanda Anisimova Did Against Her in Indian Wells Defeat
At one point in the rally, Raducanu sent back a backhand slice that was quickly returned by the player on the other side of the net. However, while attempting to respond, Alexis Canter went for a trick shot but failed to get it back in play.
The amusing incident caught widespread attention after Canter shared it on Instagram. Raducanu was no exception, though she chimed in to defend her net skills in the comments, writing, “I promise I’m better at the net than my display here.”
Canter later responded with a funny message of his own. “can’t promise my trick shots get any better than that ending,” he wrote.
It is worth noting that Raducanu has reunited with former coach Mark Petchey on an informal, part-time basis after parting ways with Francisco Roig. She will begin her Miami Open campaign from the second round after receiving a first-round bye as a seeded player.
Raducanu will face either fellow Brit Sonay Kartal or American Peyton Stearns, who are set to meet in the opening round. Should the Brit progress deeper, potential challenges could await from higher-ranked players like Jessica Pegula and Ekaterina Alexandrova, who are in the same quarter of the Miami Open draw.
