Emma Raducanu received a wildcard for the Abu Dhabi Open, and she will play her first qualifying event since winning the 2021 US Open.
The British athlete suffered a loss against Iga Swiatek in a 6-1 6-0 match in the third round of the Australian Open and was hoping to regain her momentum early in this new season. However, she was defeated by unseeded Cristina Busca in the first round of the Singapore Open, where she was seeded seventh, with a performance record of 5-7, 7-5, 7-5.Â
Currently ranked no. 56 in the world, Raducanu is now without a coach after Nick Cavaday resigned from his role to prioritize his health. The athlete is now joined by her mother and her new fitness trainer, Yutaka Nakamura.
Raducanu’s qualifying matches
The Abu Dhabi Open is a WTA 500 event, and the winner will receive 500 ranking points. Raducanu will start her preliminary campaign in the Middle East on Saturday.
The athlete’s last qualifying appearance began her incredible career to her first major title. She reached the US Open final at Flushing Meadows and won against Leylah Fernandez at the Arthur Ashe Stadium with a performance record of 6-4, 6-3.Â
Four years ago, in New York, the 18-year-old Raducanu made an unforgettable mark by winning qualifying matches and a seven-match winning streak in the main draw. She became the first qualifier in history to claim a Grand Slam title. Her achievement became more impressive when she won the tournament without dropping a set.
In her recent matches, Emma Raducanu suffered a disappointing early exit at the Singapore Open, losing to world No. 101 Cristina Busca in an intense three-hour match. Busca won 5-7 7-5 7-5 as Raducanu struggled with errors throughout the match. Fighting gamely, she played a hard-fought match with 17 breaks of serve.