After her early exit in Singapore, Emma Raducanu has decided to take on a new challenge by accepting a wildcard entry into the qualifying draw for the Abu Dhabi Open. The 22-year-old Brit, currently ranked No. 56 in the world, will begin her campaign in the WTA 500 event on Saturday. The main draw will run from February 3 to 8.
This marks Raducanu’s second appearance at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, having previously made it to the second round as a wildcard in 2024. However, this move also signals a shift in Raducanu’s approach to her tournament schedule, as it will be the first time since her breakthrough US Open victory in 2021 that she’s participating in a qualifying event.
Her US Open triumph remains historic—Raducanu is the only player in tennis history to capture a Grand Slam title as a qualifier. She didn’t lose a single set in any of her three qualifying matches or the seven matches that followed in the main draw. But since that moment, Raducanu has faced increasing scrutiny regarding her tournament choices, particularly in 2024 when she opted out of playing qualifying rounds for tournaments where her ranking didn’t guarantee a direct spot in the main draw.
A key example was her decision to skip the WTA 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati, leaving her without any competitive match play for almost a month before the US Open. This decision caught the attention of tennis greats like Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick, who publicly questioned Raducanu’s scheduling strategy during a crucial part of the season.
In her most recent outing, Raducanu suffered a narrow defeat to world No. 101 Cristina Bucsa in the first round of the ongoing WTA 250 Singapore Open. The match ended 7-5, 5-7, 5-7 in Bucsa’s favour. Raducanu had previously reached the third round of the 2025 Australian Open, marking a positive start to her season despite some setbacks.
Raducanu had initially planned to kick off her 2025 campaign at the WTA 250 event in Auckland, but a back injury forced her to withdraw. Finishing 2024 ranked No. 56 after competing in 13 WTA Tour events, she recorded a solid 23-13 win-loss record, including a perfect 5-0 in Billie Jean King Cup matches.
Looking ahead, Raducanu has made it clear that she plans to play more frequently this year. “I want to play more than I did this year,” she shared in December. “I feel like I’m in a good place with my setup, where I can work on my physicality without needing to constantly return home.”
Raducanu also expressed optimism about her tennis, feeling she’s in a strong position and eager to explore the limits of her potential. “I’m curious about how much I can push myself and what level I can reach,” she said. “Staying healthy is the key to that. I really want to play more and see where that takes me.”
With this newfound determination, Raducanu seems ready to embrace a fresh challenge, and her decision to enter the Abu Dhabi Open’s qualifying rounds could be the start of an exciting new phase in her career.