Emma Raducanu has been unusually quiet on social media in recent weeks, fuelling a debate over why she is not competing on a tennis court.
After opting against playing at the Paris Olympics, 2021 US Open champion Raducanu went chasing WTA Ranking points on American hard courts at the WTA 500 tournament in Washington.
That decision reaped some rewards as she made it through to the quarter-finals and started her US hard court campaign in encouraging fashion before losing against Paula Badosa.
It appeared to be a great platform to push for more, but Raducanu has not been seen on a tennis court since, so what has the British star been up to ahead of the US Open?
What we know
Raducanu was initially listed as an entrant in qualifying for the WTA 1000 event in Toronto last week, but she opted against playing in Canada after failure to get a wildcard into the main draw.
This was not the first time Raducanu opted out of playing in qualifying this year, as she made a similar decision to skip the French Open when she was not given a wildcard into the Grand Slam tournament in Paris.
Her current ranking is not high enough to get her into this week’s WTA 1000 event at Cincinnati, but she would have had good claims to enter qualifying and could have requested a wildcard for that event if her ranking did not get her in the draw.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka played in qualifying for Cincinnati, but Raducanu was notable for her absence.
Unless she plays in the WTA 250 event in Cleaveland next week, her lack of activity means she will only have played three matches on US hard courts ahead of the US Open, leaving her worryingly under-prepared for the tournament she won three years ago.
Raducanu’s silence
There has been no word from the Raducanu camp on her next move, with the growing assumption that her next event will be the US Open.
Her latest Instagram post showed images of her enjoying her summertime but did not feature any images of her on a tennis court or any reference to the US Open.
Raducanu has qualified for the New York major after boosting her ranking during the grass court season in Britain, but her lack of court time has to be a concern if she is flying back to America to play at Flushing Meadows.
Raducanu’s absence in Toronto and Cincinnati has sparked rumours that Raducanu may be carrying an injury, but there have been no updates to confirm those social media tales.
What they say – Former British No 1 Tim Henman
“We just have to show some patience with Raducanu now,” Henman told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview at a Play Your Way To Wimbledon event.
“Her challenges have been well documented since she won the US Open, but the level of play she has shown this year confirms she is absolutely moving in the right direction. I have no doubts that she will have some big results in the future.
When you look at her ranking and her position in the WTA Race and realise the limited number of tournaments she has played, it emphasises her quality.
“She hasn’t played a full 12 months since coming back from injury so let’s give her some time.
“If she can play for a full 12 months, she will be back in the biggest and best events and she will be seeded once again in the Grand Slams before long and she won’t have to worry about her schedule.
“She had a real chance at Wimbledon as the draw opened up, but the strength in depth in the women’s game is great now.”
Verdict
Raducanu will have a tough path ahead if she is only going to play in events where she gets a wildcard as it will pile the pressure on her in the limited tournaments she will play each year.
The 21-year-old has suggested he will not be pressured into entering tournaments, but her current ranking of No 71 will not get her into the elite WTA Tour events.
“I’m going to do things on my own time,” said Raducanu back in June. “I’m in no rush to do anything and everything I am doing and playing for now is for myself.
“Whether that’s tournament scheduling, whether that’s how much time I take off to train compared to compete, I think I’m just way more focused on my own lane and less susceptible to outside opinions or views.
“I’m just enjoying it, just doing everything for myself and really just being independent out here.”
Progress at the US Open could take her back into the top 50, but an early exit in New York would leave her pondering whether to enter qualifying or the big tournaments when the WTA Tour moves to Asia in September and October.
If Raducanu doesn’t play in qualifying for those tournaments, she will have a limited schedule for the rest of 2024, fuelling the accusation that she may become a ‘part-time’ tennis player.
A solid run at the US Open will justify her approach to limit her schedule, but the stats confirm Raducanu has only played 28 matches in 2024 so far.
She has done well to get her ranking back into the top 100 despite her lack of tournament entries, but the time will soon come for her to step up her workload as she aims to become a contender for the game’s top events.
