Emma Raducanu may have made a costly mistake by not playing qualification matches at Canadian Open & Cincinnati Open ahead of US Open 2024
Emma Raducanu stunned the tennis world by winning the US Open as a qualifier in 2021. But the Brit's career has not panned out as expected; three years later, she is struggling a lot with form and consistency. In addition, Raducanu has had some major injuries and surgeries that have kept her out of the game for vast stretches of time.
After disappointing outings at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Raducanu is set to compete at the US Open. However, the Brit's lack of match practice could hamper her chances in New York.
Emma Raducanu opted out of both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open
Since her fourth-round exit at Wimbledon, Raducanu has only competed in one tournament. The 21-year-old played at the Washington WTA 500 and reached the quarterfinal, where she was beaten by Paula Badosa.
With the US Open set to begin on 26th August, Raducanu will not compete in any more tournaments leading up to the last Grand Slam of the year. Her decision to not play either Toronto or Cincinnati could backfire as the Brit lacks match practice.
Raducanu has already announced her participation at the Hong Kong Open, which will be played after the US Open. However, her schedule before the Grand Slam in New York remains a topic of debate.
During her title-winning run in 2021, Raducanu won 10 matches at the US Open starting with the qualifiers. Since then, the Brit has never won more than four matches in a row; consistency has been a major problem in her development.
In 2021, Raducanu reached the final of a minor event in Chicago before claiming her maiden Grand Slam in New York. This year, however, Raducanu has opted out of playing against the top-ranked stars in Toronto and Cincinnati, instead choosing to rest her body and compete directly at the US Open.
Her lack of match practice and unfamiliarity with facing and beating the top players could lead to another Grand Slam failure for Raducanu.
The US Open will play a big role in determining Raducanu's season. It has been another year of struggle for the 21-year-old, and she would hope a deep run in New York will change her fortunes.
Emma Raducanu's year of struggle in 2024
After injuries and surgeries in 2023, Raducanu announced her return to tennis in 2024. The young Brit star started off her comeback by competing in Auckland, where she lost in the second round.
The Australian Open followed and Raducanu again failed to make a mark as she was bundled out in the second round.
Raducanu's inconsistency and poor form were evident as she failed to make it past the third round at any tournament until she reached the quarterfinals of the Stuttgart WTA 500. The 21-year-old decided against competing at the French Open, and used her time to prepare for Wimbledon.
Raducanu reached the semi-final at the Nottingham WTA 1250, where she was beaten by fellow Brit Katie Boulter. Later, Raducanu reached the quarter-final of the WTA 500 in Eastbourne before competing at the Wimbledon Championships.
Raducanu reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, defeating ninth seed Maria Sakkari along the way. She was expected to go further but ended up losing to qualifier Lulu Sun in the Round of 16.
Raducanu was not part of the Great Britain team that traveled to Paris for the 2024 Olympics. She has spent the last few weeks preparing for the US Open in New York.