Emma Raducanu has chosen not to participate in the French Open qualifiers next week. The British tennis star has opted out after not receiving a wildcard entry. While no official explanation has been provided by her management, it’s speculated that her decision is tactical rather than due to injury. The 2021 US Open champion did not qualify automatically for the clay-court major in Paris owing to her current world ranking of 212, a significant drop from her previous high of 10th.
Raducanu’s Tournament Strategy and Preparation
Emma Raducanu currently stands as the third alternate for Roland Garros, which positions her to potentially join the main draw should three participants withdraw. The qualifying rounds for the French Open are set to begin on Monday, May 20, with the tournament commencing in Paris the following Sunday.
Raducanu’s decision to not actively participate hints at her intention to dedicate more time to prepare for Wimbledon, her home Grand Slam event starting on July 1. The 21-year-old last competed on April 24 at the Madrid Open, where she faced a first-round exit after a 6-2, 6-2 defeat by qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle. Following the match, Raducanu expressed feelings of mental and emotional exhaustion.
Raducanu’s Training Focus Shifts to Grass Courts Ahead of Wimbledon
According to The Telegraph, Emma Raducanu has been practicing on both indoor and outdoor hard courts at the National Tennis Centre recently, rather than on red clay. This suggests that her primary focus is on the upcoming English summer. With Wimbledon’s grass courts set to open next week, it appears Raducanu is gearing up for an intensive training regimen in preparation for the prestigious home tournament.
Last year, surgeries on her wrists and an ankle prevented her from competing on grass, causing her world ranking to plummet to No. 303. Her decision to skip Roland Garros this year means her ranking will not see immediate improvement.
Raducanu has been out of competitive play for a month, and it remains uncertain which tournament will mark her return. There is a possibility she might enter the ITF event in Surbiton, scheduled to start on June 2.
2024 WTA Grass-Court Season Overview
The grass-court season for the WTA kicks off with two simultaneous events: the Nottingham Open in the UK and the Libema Open in the Netherlands, both scheduled to start on June 12, 2024.
The following week, on June 19, the tour moves to the Birmingham Classic and the German Open in Berlin, the latter being the higher-ranked of the two events. The week preceding Wimbledon features the Eastbourne International in the UK and the Bad Homburg Open in Germany.
As for player performances, the world No. 212 has achieved a 9-7 record in match wins and losses this year. Her season has been highlighted by consecutive Billie Jean King Cup qualifying victories over French players Diane Parry and Caroline Garcia.
Grand Slam champion Emma Raducanu built on this momentum with wins over Angelique Kerber and Linda Noskova at the Stuttgart clay event, before her commendable run was halted by the world No. 1, Iga Swiatek, in the quarter-finals.
