Emma Raducanu has pulled out of next week’s WTA 500 event in Strasbourg, despite being announced in the player line-up last month. The Internationaux de Strasbourg takes place in the same week as the French Open qualifying event, and Raducanu just missed the main draw cut-off for the French Open with her protected ranking.
Raducanu’s participation in the Internationaux de Strasbourg was initially confirmed last month, but the tournament has now announced her withdrawal. As the world No. 212, Raducanu’s commitment to play in Strasbourg raised eyebrows because the tournament coincides with the French Open qualifying, in which she is slated to compete.
The Brit entered the clay-court Grand Slam with her protected ranking of No. 103 and was fifth on the list of alternates. This means she could make it into the French Open main draw by qualifying, receiving a wildcard, or if five players withdrew. It appeared she was initially counting on the latter two options by choosing to skip the qualifiers for another WTA tournament.
However, with the French Open qualifying tournament days away and Raducanu still without a spot in the main draw, her decision to pull out of Strasbourg seems to have been made to focus on securing a place in the French Open.
Raducanu has only played Grand Slam qualifying once in her young career, making history by winning 10 matches in a row without dropping a set at the 2021 US Open, becoming the first qualifier ever to lift a Major title. Since then, her ranking has been high enough to earn her a spot in the main draw of subsequent Grand Slams. For this year’s Australian Open, she also entered using her protected ranking and made it to the main draw when several players withdrew, thus avoiding the need to play qualifying. This time, it appears qualifying is her only option to make it to the French Open.
Raducanu has not played a match since suffering a disappointing first-round exit at the Madrid Open, where she lost 6-2, 6-2 to qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle. Prior to that, she had a strong start to the clay season, winning four matches in a row for the first time since her US Open run.
Emma Raducanu in 2024
WWWLWWLLWW Now ranked no.212, Raducanu played her last match on the 24th of April when she capitulated to world no.71 Maria Lourdes Carle 6-2 6-2 in the 1st round in Madrid (draw).
This season the Brit has achieved an overall 9-7 match record.
Emma Raducanu |
| Embed from Getty Images |
