Fans are left wondering what will be Raducanu’s next move since she is not playing Toronto and now seems set to also skip Cincinnati.
Emma Raducanu hasn’t gotten a main draw wildcard for a WTA 1000 tournament either and that left some of her fans stunned and wondering how will the Briton’s North American hard-court swing look this summer.
Last week, Raducanu kicked off her summer on hard courts by reaching the Washington quarterfinal as a wildcard before falling short to eventual champion Paula Badosa.
This week, a WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto is starting. But since Raducanu didn’t get a wildcard there and she also decided against trying to earn a main draw spot through the qualifying, she won’t be in action this week.
On Monday, the Cincinnati tournament announced that two Grand Slam champions – Caroline Wozniacki and Bianca Andreescu got main draw wildcards – as well as USA’s Peyton Stearns and Caroline Dolehide. For the Cincinnati qualifying – where Raducanu wasn’t on the initial list – Taylor Townsend and Marina Stakusic were handed wildcards.
Raducanu’s fans react to the Cincinnati wildcard news
After it was confirmed that Raducanu wouldn’t sneak in the Cincinnati main draw as a wildcard, her fans instantly started pointing out how it very likely means that we won’t see the 21-year-old at the tournament this year since she has already passed on several opportunities to play qualifying this year.
Here are some of the reactions.
In the spring, Raducanu started her clay season in time but she didn’t play at the Rome Open and French Open after being denied wildcards there.
At the time, Raducanu received certain criticism as some argued that she was “acting in a diva way.” But the 2021 US Open champion had an explanation for her French Open decision.
“It’s important for me to keep laying on the foundations, and I will use the time to do a healthy block before the grass and subsequent hard-court seasons to give myself a chance to keep fit for the rest of the year,” Raducanu said in a statement at the time.
Raducanu beat Serena Williams in her Cincinnati debut
In 2022, Raducanu made her debut on the hard courts of Cincinnati. At the time, Williams was just returning from a lengthy pause and she got a main draw wildcard for Cincinnati.
When the draw was released, tennis fans were left in a frenzy after Raducanu and Williams drew each other in the first round. And what was their first and last meeting, Raducanu ousted Williams 6-4 6-4 before losing to Jessica Pegula in the CIncinnati round-of-16.
“The chances to play her may be one of the last opportunities I get to play her. You have to cherish the moment, and you’re going to have this memory for the rest of your career. Playing Serena and managing to win, I’m obviously really proud of myself, and it does give me confidence [ahead of the US Open],” Raducanu said after beating former 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams.
“Each of those wins kind of build confidence regardless of the level you’re playing, every single win counts. But of course this one more so, because you’re playing like the greatest. But I’m not trying to get too high or too low right now.”
A couple of days after losing to Raducanu, Williams announced that the 2022 US Open would be her last pro tournament.
