Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka set to face each other in charity match ahead of the Australian Open 2024
Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka are all set to face each other in a charity match on January 9 at Melbourne Park, ahead of the 2024 Australian Open.
Both women have made their return to tennis this season after being on the sidelines for a long time for different reasons. Raducanu made a comeback at the ASB Classic, whereas Osaka was in action at the Brisbane International. The duo won their opening-round matches before being eliminated.
Emma Raducanu had surgeries on both her wrists and ankle, which made her miss the majority of 2023. This also led her to fall out of the Top 100. Meanwhile, Osaka's last tour appearance before being a mother came in 2022 at the Pan Pacific Open, where she was the defending champion. However, she withdrew in the second round due to an abdominal illness.
The Brit and the Japanese are all set to make their Grand Slam return at the 2024 Australian Open, having received an entry into the main draw. However, before heading into the Happy Slam, Raducanu and Osaka will lock horns in a charity match on January 9 at Melbourne Park.
This will be followed by other charity matches - Carlos Alcaraz vs Alex de Minaur on 10 January, Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Aryna Sabalenka, Maria Sakkari and special surprise guests on 11 January and Carlos Alcaraz vs Casper Ruud on 12 January.
A look into Emma Raducanu's comeback at the 2024 Auckland event
Emma Raducanu announced in December 2023 that she would be coming back to the WTA Tour for the 2024 season. She accepted a wildcard at the 2024 ASB Classic and entered the main draw of the Australian Open with a protected ranking of 103.
The 21-year-old kicked off her Auckland campaign with a first-round match against her good friend Elena-Gabriela Ruse. The duo played a three-set thriller that lasted two hours and 27 minutes, with Raducanu eventually triumphing 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.
In the second round, the former US Open winner faced a challenging opponent in Elina Svitolina. Both women gave it their all but ultimately Svitolina, who has been in good form, prevailed over the Brit 6-7(5), 7-6(3), 6-1.
Despite ending up on the losing side, Raducanu showed positive signs against the Ukrainian ahead of the Australian Open, where she will aim to win her second Major title.