Emma Raducanu’s rivals at US Open issued fresh warning as British tennis star to make comeback

Emma Raducanu could cause problems in the US Open draw next week due to her prolonged break as opposed to others who have played in a packed schedule, according to Laura Robson. The 21-year-old has not won a match at Flushing Meadows since her historic victory at the 2021 tournament.She was knocked out in the first round the following year and missed the tournament in 2023 as she recovered from surgery.

Raducanu is now back at the US Open as she bids to continue her steady rise back up the rankings. The former British No 1 enjoyed a strong grasscourt campaign, which culminated in a fourth-round exit at Wimbledon. That left her in good stead heading to the hardcourt season and she made it to the quarter-finals of the Citi Open at the start of the month.

However, Raducanu hasn’t played since that defeat to eventual champion Paula Badosa after opting not to play in the qualifying rounds for the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open. She also skipped events in Cleveland and Mexico with Raducanu opting to put all her focus on practicing at the US Open.The British tennis star has faced some criticism for not playing in more events ahead of the final major of the year while the likes of Jessica Pegula, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka have had a busy schedule.

However, Robson feels that Raducanu may actually benefit from skipping several events to keep her more fresh for the US Open. “She’s not a player who needs a huge amount of matches going into a big event,” she said. “I think we’ve seen that before, where she might play the week before, just to get some fine-tuning done, but she really enjoys the training block and plays her best tennis when she’s coming off a really strong couple of weeks of practice.

“It’s a really good sign that, yes, she’s had a few matches and has some confidence and some wins under her belt, but also has the chance to get to New York feeling as fresh as possible, whereas everyone else is probably feeling a bit shattered already.”

Raducanu has climbed up to 71st in the world rankings in the past few months and will have a strong chance of moving even more at the US Open. The British tennis star has remained quiet in recent weeks as to why she skipped events in Canada and Cincinnati. However, Raducanu hinted earlier this year that she wouldn’t overdo it on her return from surgery at the start of the year and would focus more on practicing.

“I think you can gain confidence two ways, by winning matches or by practising very well. I’ve been practising really well even though I’m technically lighter on matches,” she said. “But that’s the way I like doing things right now and probably more going forwards.”