‘Withdrawal Incoming’ – Emma Raducanu’s Nightmare Australian Open Draw Fuels Fans’ Fears of Another Setback

When the going gets tough, the tough get going! Can the British star, Emma Raducanu take the bull by the horns in Melbourne? The 2021 US Open champion has been handed a very tricky draw at the 2025 Australian Open. In the 2024 season, she played only 36 matches! Injuries and lack of form have been her major obstacles in her road to glory in the last four years. She was all set to start her 2025 season at the ASB Classic. However, a back niggle pulled her out of that warm-up tournament. Now, after seeing this tough draw, tennis fans have come out in numbers to showcase their concern about her chances in the ‘Melbourne Slam‘.

Who will be her probable opponents at the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2025 season, though? Well, Emma Raducanu is the only British player to draw a seed at the AO after being paired with Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round. After missing out on her chances in Auckland, she’ll be desperate to make a winning start to her campaign in Melbourne.

Since traveling to Melbourne, Emma Raducanu has trained normally on the tournament grounds and has looked in good shape during her practice sessions. On Tuesday, she even took part in a practice session with the 2022 Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina. Interestingly, the Brit won the practice set against Rybakina on the Rod Laver Arena. Is this an indication of brighter days, for Emma Raducanu in the upcoming months? Well, fans aren’t too optimistic about her chances at the 2025 AO, though!

Why is it so? Well, if Emma Raducanu wins her first match against Alexandrova, then she could possibly face either America’s Amanda Anisimova or Maria Lourdes Carle (ARG) in the second round, and guess what will happen if Raducanu manages to win these two battles successfully? Well, since Emma Raducanu has been drawn into Iga Swiatek’s section of the singles draw, there is a higher possibility of her facing the Pole in the third round.

Emma Raducanu has faced Iga Swiatek three times in her career and she has lost all three of her matches against the former world number one. So, fans feel this is nothing but a nightmare draw for the Brit! Suppose, Raducanu manages to pull off a massive setback in Melbourne, who will she face in her next matches? If the Brit manages to beat Swiatek then she’d face either Anna Kalinskaya or Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round. Then in the QF, there is a high possibility of her facing either Emma Navarro or Maria Sakkari.

She hasn’t yet faced Navarro in her career but has a 2-0 lead over the Greek in the H2H record, so this is relatively looking much easier for Emma Raducanu. However, we must not forget that both Navarro and Sakkari have been relatively consistent performers on the Tour, unlike Raducanu in the last few years. If she reaches the SF, then she might face Elena Rybakina. Even there is a chance of her facing Danielle Collins in the semis.

EMMA GOT ALEXANDROVA R1, ANISIMOVA R2, IGA R3

— Raj (@RajBhandari1001) January 9, 2025

Although the fans have ruled out all the chances of her reaching this far, still suppose Emma Raducanu reaches the final then she will have to battle it out against the defending champion, Aryna Sabalenka, or the in-form American Coco Gauff. What are the fans saying though, after seeing her draw at the 2025 AO?

Fans aren’t too optimistic about Emma Raducanu’s chances of seeing it through in this tough draw at the 2025 AO
Emma Raducanu is known for her resilience and during a recent interview she was seen highlighting a bit about how she deals with all the challenges that come her way. She said, “I’ve learned that life is full of twists and turns, but it’s how you navigate those moments that define you. As an athlete, that is never truer than when you are injured and facing criticism. It can feel like a constant uphill battle, but you can view it as either an obstacle or an opportunity to grow.”

Can Emma Radcuanu overcome these challenges and silence her critics with an incredible run at the 2025 AO? Well, after seeing this draw fans have already started to rule her out of this mega event. A fan tweeted, “I mean it was never really going to happen for Emma anyways.“

Former British tennis player, Mark Petchey recently made a bold prediction saying that Emma Raducanu is on the cusp of clinching ‘big titles’ this year, provided she makes strides in honing her forehand shots. However, seeing her tough draw at the ‘Melbourne Slam’ fans feel that’s really going to be a bit tough in this tournament. Highlighting her probable first three opponents in this mega tournament, a fan wrote, “That is the worst!“

Emma Raducanu has never faced Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova in her career and this is what makes this contest more interesting. Alexandrova is currently ranked 27th in the world, while Anisimova is ranked 36th. On the other hand, Emma Radcuanu is placed at the 60th spot in the women’s singles ranking! So, considering all these factors, some of the fans feel, “She needs to worry about R1 and R2.”

Raducanu’s best record at the AO has been reaching the second round. Can she make a longer run in this season? Well, in December 2024, she shared her thoughts about her tennis goals. She said, “Initially when I first started before I won the US Open, my main reason was: ‘I want to win a grand slam’. And that happened so young. I’m so grateful for it. But as soon as that happens, I’m like, ‘OK, well what now? I want to win another grand slam’. It’s just not sustainable.” So, all she wants now is to “enjoy” what she’s doing and “stay on court longer“.

However, after seeing her frequent withdrawals from the tournaments in the last few years, some of the fans have raised serious doubts about her chances at the 2025 AO by saying, “Withdrawal incoming then.” Can Emma Raducanu prove all her doubters, wrong? Time will tell!

Another British legend, Tim Henman said that he believes Emma Raducanu has got what it takes to compete at the highest level and challenge for big titles like Grand Slams. However, after seeing this, “crazyyyyyy” draw featuring Raducanu, some of the fans felt early knockout may well be on the cards. It will be interesting to see how far she goes at the 2025 AO. What’s your prediction, though?