The Real Reason Emma Raducanu Could Get a Huge Favour from the WTA if She Ends Her Season Early Revealed
Emma Raducanu has fallen out of the top 100 in the world but could receive a huge boost from the WTA Tour if she chooses to sit out the rest of the season due to injury. The British ace looked on course to have a successful summer before becoming sidelined with a stress fracture in her right leg. Raducanu reached the Queen’s Club final in June but has not returned to action since losing to Donna Vekic. The situation has seen Raducanu, who missed Wimbledon and the US Open, slide to 107th in the world and become the British No.3 behind Katie Boulter and Fran Jones. As her injury problems continue, the 23-year-old could potentially receive a huge rankings boost by cutting her season short as she makes her way back to full fitness.
Raducanu was initially on the entry list for the recent China Open but later withdrew. The former US Open champion could opt to enter one of the next six events before the WTA Finals. However, Raducanu would benefit from a protected ranking if she focuses on her recovery until the end of the tennis season next month.
If Raducanu misses at least six months due to injury, the British star can request a special ranking from the WTA. This would mean she would benefit from being ranked 31st at the time of her injury, allowing her to enter up to eight tournaments, including a maximum of two Grand Slams, based on her previous standing when she potentially returns next season. Her current 107th ranking would make it difficult for her to qualify for WTA events.
It remains to be seen whether Raducanu will opt to enter the upcoming WTA events in Ningbo, Osaka, Tokyo, Guangzhou, Chennai and Hong Kong. Although she could apply for a wildcard, Raducanu is not currently on the entry list for the final events of the year before the new season begins in January, when she would be eligible for a protected ranking.
However, there have been few updates on her recovery while Raducanu has been on the sidelines. Tennis icon Andy Roddick previously predicted a lengthy lay-off for the former Grand Slam winner.
We might not even see her for the rest of this year,” Roddick said on his Served podcast in August. “It just stinks because she is so good and it’s just the stop and start of things.
“You can’t get around a stress fracture, that’s not a pain tolerance thing at all. It has to heal or you are going to cause extreme long-term damage. It just stinks.
“She could be such a bright spot for the tours and it just seems like there are speed bumps all the time, which is just unfortunate. It sucks. I hope she gets better.”
