Emma Raducanu set to do something she has never done before as her next tournament is confirmed

Emma Raducanu is returning to a strategy that brought her early success, as she aims for more court time in 2025. The British star has hired fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura to help her stay fit and injury-free.

Raducanu had a promising start to the season, reaching the third round of the Australian Open before suffering a tough loss to Iga Swiatek. However, a disappointing early exit at the Singapore Open followed, prompting Raducanu to make a decision many fans had been urging her to consider since last season.

Emma Raducanu will now compete in the Abu Dhabi Open qualifiers.

The 22-year-old is set to take part in the qualifying rounds for the Abu Dhabi Open, hoping to earn a spot in the main draw. This will mark the first time in her career that the former world No. 10 will enter qualifiers at a tour-level event.

Fans have welcomed this decision, especially after questions arose last year about why she didn’t enter the 2024 French Open qualifiers. Competing in Abu Dhabi’s qualifiers is seen as a crucial step for Raducanu to regain match fitness and climb back up the rankings.

When was the last time Raducanu entered a tournament through qualifiers?

The last time Raducanu entered qualifiers was at the 2021 US Open, where she made history. Coming through the qualifying rounds, she entered the main draw at Flushing Meadows for the first time and went on to win the US Open without dropping a set. It was one of the greatest achievements in tennis and sports history, as she became the first woman to win a Grand Slam from the qualifiers and the first British woman to win a Major since Virginia Wade in 1977.