Emma Raducanu has received encouraging news regarding her participation in the upcoming French Open. Despite being ranked No. 103, which places her five spots outside the automatic entry list for the second major of 2024, recent developments suggest she may still compete without going through the qualifying rounds.
Raducanu faced a similar situation ahead of the Australian Open in January but ultimately secured a spot in the main draw due to player withdrawals. This pattern may repeat at Roland Garros, as several players have pulled out, including Austria’s Julia Grabher. Italy’s Sara Errani and Australia’s Arina Rodionova are currently ahead of Raducanu on the alternate list. Should three more players withdraw over the weekend, Raducanu could bypass the qualifying rounds.
Speculation arose on social media about Raducanu’s readiness for the clay courts, as recent posts lacked footage of her practicing on this surface. An Instagram photo of her with a racket bag provided little clue about her current training environment. Some believe she might be focusing on the upcoming grass court season, with the Nottingham Open in June as a potential return.
Injury concerns for American star Jessica Pegula and fellow Brit Jodie Burrage could open additional spots in the French Open draw for Raducanu. Former British No. 1 Andrew Castle remains optimistic about her potential. He told Tennis365, “Raducanu has the quality to come good after a challenging few years following her 2021 US Open win. It will be really interesting to see how she deals with the spotlight that will inevitably fall on her when the grass court season comes around in Britain.”
Castle emphasized the challenges of tennis, stating, “You could be playing really well, get a tough draw against a top ten player and you can lose. I just hope that she is allowed to continue to develop without too much negative attention directed towards her.” He acknowledged the media’s tendency to focus on negativity but expressed confidence in Raducanu’s potential, saying, “When she is on song, she is a terrific player. I love watching her play.”
Castle believes that with some luck regarding injuries, Raducanu can return to top form. “She’s still very young, so I’m not panicking for her,” he added.
Raducanu has 48 hours to decide whether to play in the French Open qualifying rounds or to prepare for the grass court season, potentially starting at the Nottingham Open next month.
