Andy Roddick thinks Emma Raducanu’s decision to withdraw from an exhibition event could make a positive impact on her long-awaited comeback however, he advised the WTA sensation to not play at the Australian Open without having a couple of matches under her belt.
Raducanu has been out of action since April when after having surgeries on both her wrists as well as injured left ankle. The Brit finally returned to practice courts at National Tennis Center in Roehampton at the start of August and signed for the exhibition Macau Tennis Masters event scheduled in the first week of December.
However, organizers of the Asian showpiece event have recently confirmed the withdrawal of the WTA #294 as she opted to extend the date of her competitive return.
Roddick believes “a cohesive training block” could be more fruitful for the 21-year-old than the leisure of showing her presence at an exhibition.
“It’s tough because we don’t know if it’s a recurrence of the same two injuries that she has or if it’s a fitness issue or maybe the training is going so well they don’t want to interrupt a really cohesive training block with a trip to Macau in December,” said the former American ATP ace while talking to Betway.
“That’s always an awkward time to play an exhibition event. I liked playing them right after the season ends or right before the season begins because it gives you more uninterrupted training. Maybe that’s just what she felt she needed. I’d be guessing at this point.”
Raducanu now looks set to make her comeback in the Antipodean, but it needs to be seen if the WTA sensation will take up any warm-up events before hitting the Melbourne Park in 2024.
Roddick suggested it would be vital for the 2021 US Open Champion to have some matchcourt mileage on her before entering the season-opening Grand Slam on January 15.
“I know one thing that has to happen if she’s going to go start playing a Slam in Australia, she’s going to have to play something before,” he said. “There’s going to have to be a 250, I would even like to see her play two events in the lead-up, because there’s just nothing guaranteed. You want those matches.
“So I’d be curious to see if, in the next 10 days, two weeks, we hear anything else about her intended schedule.”
Emma Raducanu’s Preparatory Path to 2024 Australian Open
Three are 3 WTA-mandated tourneys scheduled in the first week of January including United Cup, Brisbane International and Auckland Classic.
It has already been confirmed that Raducanu will not be part of Great Britain’s squad for the United Cup but she could still make her comeback at the Auckland Classic given that she had already played there.
However, it was not a smooth sailing for the Brit who just into her second match at the event back in January 2023 lost her footing on the court and was forced to retire mid-match. She sustained an ankle injury and criticized the slippery courts at the event.
Despite the past shambles, Auckland Classic tournament director Nicolas Lamperin though, is still looking forward to Raducanu’s presence: “There have been some, but it’s too early to say, because we still don’t have a set return date.
“The door is open if she wants to come, but we have had to go after other players, with whom we have more certainty. It’s not off the table, but we’d need more time, because we still don’t know when she’s coming back,” he said while talking to New Zealand’s stuff.
The WTA 500 Adelaide International and WTA 250 Hobart International will be scheduled to get underway a week before the start of Australian Open, but majority of top players opt out of the events and instead take practice courts.