Emma Raducanu handed tough Miami opener as she is set to play Bianca Andreescu

Emma Raducanu has been drawn to face 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in the Miami first round.

Raducanu, 20, and 22-year-old Andreescu will be meeting for the second time in their respective careers when they clash in Miami.

Last year, Raducanu and Andreescu met in the Rome first round.

Back then, Andreescu won the first set 6-2 and had a 2-1 lead in the second set when Raducanu retired the match.

Now, two US Open champions are set to meet again in the first round of a WTA 1000 tournament.

For both players, this will be a very tricky opener and they definitely could have received much more favorable matchups.

But tennis fans are the ones profiting as Raducanu and Andreescu are set to be the highlight matchup of the first-round action in Miami.

Raducanu ‘confident’ ahead of the Andreescu match

In Indian Wells, Raducanu clinched three wins before she was beaten by Iga Swiatek in the round-of-16.

En route to reaching the Indian Wells round-of-16, Raducanu defeated 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette and world No 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia.

After concluding her Indian Wells run, Raducanu admitted her confidence level increased.

“Yeah, it feels good. Gives me confidence. I think especially because of where I was before this tournament, didn’t think I would even play, to be honest. But to have played and then won three rounds and beaten two amazing opponents, yeah, I’m very proud of myself. Now it’s just about consistent work to physically get to where I want to be. Yeah, I saw a taste of the level where No. 1 is at physically and how she is at the corners, repetitive, relentless. Yeah, I just couldn’t take that,” Raducanu said.

Raducanu is feeling confident at the moment and it remains to be seen if she can clinch her first win against Andreescu and reach the Miami second round.