The Worst Is Over — Emma Raducanu Announces Her Comeback Date After Missing the US Open
Emma Raducanu could make her eagerly awaited return to competitive tennis at the China Open later this month following a three-month injury lay-off.
The former US Open champion has been named on the entry list for the prestigious WTA tournament in Beijing, which is due to begin on September 28.
Raducanu has not appeared on the WTA Tour since reaching the final of the Queen’s Club Championships in June.
Her impressive run in London was eventually ended by Donna Vekic, but it represented another encouraging step forward for the British star before injury brought her momentum to an abrupt halt.
Raducanu suffered a stress fracture in her right leg towards the end of June and has consequently missed the entire North American hard-court swing.
That absence also ruled her out of the US Open, the tournament at which she produced one of the greatest shocks in tennis history five years ago.
Raducanu entered the 2021 competition as a qualifier before winning 10 consecutive matches without dropping a set to secure her maiden Grand Slam title.
Her career has been far less straightforward in the years since, with injuries and inconsistent form repeatedly disrupting her attempts to establish herself among the world’s leading players.
However, her inclusion on the China Open entry list indicates that her latest rehabilitation is progressing and that a return could now be only a matter of weeks away.
It does not guarantee Raducanu will compete, with players still able to withdraw before the tournament begins, but Beijing is currently positioned to stage her first match since June.
The 23-year-old has positive memories of last year’s event despite suffering an agonising third-round defeat against Jessica Pegula.
Raducanu began her campaign by overcoming Cristina Bucsa and then came desperately close to eliminating the American star.
She held three match points but failed to convert any of them as Pegula recovered to claim a dramatic 3-6, 7-6, 6-0 victory.
Raducanu will face another formidable field if she is declared fit enough to return to China.
Eleven Grand Slam singles champions appear on the provisional entry list, with Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina among the leading names expected to compete.
Defending champion Amanda Anisimova is also scheduled to return after capturing the title last year.
The American defeated Linda Noskova 6-0, 2-6, 6-2 in the final to complete a successful campaign in the Chinese capital.
For Raducanu, however, the immediate objective will be to prove that she has fully recovered from the leg problem that wrecked the second half of her summer.
Her Queen’s performance had suggested she was beginning to rediscover greater consistency before the stress fracture forced another extended spell away from competition.
Raducanu’s possible comeback will therefore be followed closely as she attempts to finish an injury-disrupted season positively.
All attention will now turn to whether she travels to Beijing and formally confirms her participation before play starts on September 28.
