Emma Raducanu still targeting Australian Open despite raising injury fears again
Emma Raducanu is still expected to play the Australian Open next week despite heightening concerns over her fitness by withdrawing from a second exhibition match in as many days.
The Briton, 21, announced she would not be taking part in a scheduled clash with Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva at the Kooyong Classic on Thursday in Melbourne, where the year’s first Grand Slam is due to begin on Sunday.
It came a day after she pulled out of a charity match initially set to be against four-time major winner Naomi Osaka, who was replaced by Donna Vekic before Raducanu’s withdrawal.
The 2021 US Open winner was said to be feeling soreness after recently competing for the first time in nine months following surgery on both wrists and one ankle, and her latest move is understood to be precautionary.
Nonetheless, it will dampen expectations of a run at the Australian Open, where she has reached the second round on both of her previous appearances, in 2022 and 2023.
Raducanu will learn on Thursday who she faces in the first round at Melbourne Park, having been promoted to the main draw following a series of withdrawals, including two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and French Open finalist Karolina Muchova.
The Bromley player won on her comeback last week at the ASB Classic in New Zealand, beating Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse, before losing to second seed Elina Svitolina in the last 16.
Raducanu, ranked 299 in the world, has not played a Grand Slam since last year’s Australian Open and has won consecutive matches at just one tournament since September 2022.
Elsewhere, British men’s No1 Cameron Norrie started his Auckland Classic campaign with a hard-fought 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-1 win over Frenchman Luca Van Assche.
Jack Draper saved two match points in an epic 5-7 7-6 (11-9) 7-6 (9-7) comeback against Miomir Kecmanovic at the Adelaide International but fellow Briton Dan Evans lost 4-6 6-2 6-1 to Alexander Bublik.