Emma Raducanu did not receive a wildcard for a WTA 1000 tournament, which surprised and concerned some of her fans. They are now wondering how her North American hard-court swing will look this summer.
Last week, Raducanu began her summer on hard courts as a wildcard in Washington. She reached the quarterfinals but was ultimately defeated by eventual champion Paula Badosa.
This week, a WTA 1000 tournament is taking place in Toronto. However, Raducanu did not receive a wildcard for this tournament and chose not to participate in the qualifying rounds. As a result, she will not be competing this week.
The Cincinnati tournament recently announced their wildcards for the main draw, which included two Grand Slam champions – Caroline Wozniacki and Bianca Andreescu, as well as Peyton Stearns and Caroline Dolehide from the USA. Taylor Townsend and Marina Stakusic were given wildcards for the qualifying rounds.
Raducanu’s fans were disappointed to learn that she would not be able to enter the Cincinnati main draw as a wildcard. This likely means that she will not be participating in the tournament this year, as she has already passed on previous opportunities to play in the qualifying rounds.
Here are some reactions from her fans:
– It’s frustrating that she never plays in qualifying rounds.
– It will be difficult for Emma since she doesn’t want to play qualifying rounds. She may have to go without warm-up until the US Open, unless she decides to pursue a wildcard in Cleveland. If only the draw had 96 players, she would have had a better chance.
– It’s outrageous. Two Americans and a Canadian received wildcards. Maybe she should consider playing in an ITF tournament for some match practice.
– The main goal was to get into the US Open this year and improve her ranking, which she has accomplished. Hopefully, if she stays healthy, Emma won’t have this qualifying issue next year. It’s a shame for now, but let’s try to look at it positively.
– Emma Raducanu does things her own way, and her fans should know that by now. She doesn’t do things just to please people who aren’t close to her. It’s disappointing that she’s not playing in Cincinnati, but not surprising. This year, her priorities are foundations and health.
– It’s funny that Wozniacki received wildcards over Raducanu in 2024.
In the spring, Raducanu started her clay season on time but did not play in the Rome Open and French Open after being denied wildcards. Some criticized her for this decision, calling her “diva-like.” However, the 2021 US Open champion explained that she wanted to focus on building a strong foundation and ensuring her fitness for the rest of the year.
In 2022, Raducanu made her debut on the hard courts of Cincinnati. At that time, Serena Williams had just returned from a break and received a wildcard for the tournament. The draw paired Raducanu and Williams in the first round, which caused a frenzy among tennis fans. Raducanu defeated Williams 6-4 6-4 but lost to Jessica Pegula in the round of 16.
After the match, Raducanu expressed her pride in defeating the former 23-time Grand Slam champion and the confidence it gave her for the upcoming US Open. She also emphasized the importance of cherishing the opportunity to play against such a legendary player.
A few days after losing to Raducanu, Williams announced that the 2022 US Open would be her last professional tournament.
Photo from Emma Raducanu Instagram
