Emma Raducanu: The 3 biggest scheduling decisions for rest of 2024
Once again, Emma Raducanu’s scheduling has come under the spotlight. A strong grass-court season and a run to the last eight in Washington propelled her back into the top 70 of rankings, and she looked primed to press on over the rest of the hard-court summer. But the British star has not played since D.C, not handed a wildcard for either the Canadian Open or Cincinnati Open – and appearing to turn down the chance to play qualifying at the latter.
Raducanu will be in action at the US Open, which starts in less than two weeks, but what other big scheduling decisions will she have to make in 2024?
We look at three key dilemmas she may be drawn into.
Now: Pre-US Open wildcard
If Raducanu does not play before the US Open, it will have been almost a month since her quarter-final run at the Washington Open. While she hasn’t always needed matchplay to build momentum, it feels strange that she has not committed to any further tournaments in a quest for more wins and more points.
However, there is still a chance she could play before New York.
Two WTA events occur next week: the 500-level Monterrey Open in Mexico, and the 250-level Tennis in the Land in Cleveland. The entry list for both tournaments came out over a month ago, though multiple wildcard spots are still available at each event – could Raducanu possibly take advantage of one of these?
At the moment, it appears unlikely, though it is something to keep an eye on.
September/October: WTA 1000s in China
After the US Open, the WTA heads to Asia for a lengthy hard-court swing. Across the period there are significant events in Seoul, Osaka, and Tokyo, and Raducanu could well play at any one of these.
However, the biggest tournaments are the back-to-back WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan, starting on September 23rd and October 7th respectively.
These are the two tournaments with the biggest ranking points available, and it will be intriguing to see if Raducanu plays. The China Open has a 64-player draw while Wuhan has a 56-player draw so, as the world No 71, it may be a push for her to make the draw automatically.
However, Raducanu has a significant fanbase and following in the country – and it would be no surprise if she received a wildcard to one or both tournaments.
November: BJK Cup Finals
WTA action for 2024 concludes in November with the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, which are now taking place from November 13-20th in Malaga. The draw is already out and Great Britain faces a first round against Germany, and would then face reigning champions Canada in the quarter-final should they progress.
Raducanu played a crucial part in Britain qualifying for the Finals, winning both her singles rubbers in a 3-1 qualifying victory over France in April. Whether she plays or not could be crucial for the nation’s chance of potentially winning the competition, and captain Anne Keothavong will hope she can call on her services.
The Finals come at the end of a long season so Raducanu may choose to rest.
But, the event is on Raducanu’s favoured hard courts and she revelled in representing her country earlier in the year, so you would think she would elect to play.
