Emma Raducanu facing anxious wait over French Open as Brit has three days to learn fate

Emma Raducanu is being made to wait to see whether she will need to play qualifying to get into the French Open or if she can get in based on withdrawals. The Brit entered the tournament with her protected ranking of No. 103 and just missed the main draw cut-off. With qualifying starting on Monday, there are only three days for enough players to pull out to let Raducanu in.

Raducanu’s French Open fate lies in the hands of other players as she could be forced to play qualifying for the first time in more than two years. The 21-year-old appears to have cleared her schedule in the event that she has to go through qualies, as she was set to play next week’s WTA 500 in Strasbourg but pulled out.

Her decision to enter the tournament raised eyebrows as it is being staged in the same week as French Open qualifying and she did not make the main draw with her protected ranking. Raducanu may have been relying on a wildcard, though she was snubbed from the list of recipients earlier this week.

Her only hope to get into the tournament is for enough players to pull out, bumping her up the list and into the position to make the main draw. There have already been a few withdrawals, with Julia Grabher becoming the latest player to skip the French Open. It means Raducanu is now three spots out.

But three players would have to withdraw before the qualifying tournament starts on Monday in order for Raducanu to get in and avoid playing the preliminary rounds. If they don’t, the former world No. 10 will have to win three qualifying matches to get in the main draw.

There are still some players who could decide to skip the French Open before qualifying begins, giving Raducanu a chance. World No. 5 Jessica Pegula has been sidelined with an injury for a month and recently said on Instagram that there was a chance she could miss the clay-court Grand Slam.

Fellow Brit Jodie Burrage could also give Raducanu a push if she pulls out before Monday. The world No. 107 – who was ranked in the top 100 when the French Open entry list came out – is recovering from wrist surgery.

If Raducanu does have to go through qualifying, she can take plenty of confidence from her first and only experience so far. The Brit famously won the 2021 US Open as a qualifier, making tennis history at the age of just 18 in what was her fourth professional tournament. She won 10 matches in a row without dropping a set to end the tournament as the champion.

But the world No. 212 has not played a match since losing to qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle in the first round of the Madrid Open. She had a strong start to the clay season before that, winning both of her matches in Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifier tie against France and reaching the quarter-final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.