Emma Raducanu plays down top seed status in Linz, saying: ‘It’s cool but I haven’t really looked at seedings’

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Emma Raducanu in action on the WTA Tour

Emma Raducanu played down the significance of being the top seed at a WTA Tour event for the first time as she prepares to begin her final tournament of the season.

The US Open champion broke into the top 20 on Monday and is the highest-ranked player at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz tournament.

She will play her opening match on Tuesday against Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as she looks to build on her first two main tour victories in Romania last month.

Raducanu said: “It’s cool but I haven’t really looked at seedings. I never looked at seedings even when I was unranked, playing a seed in a tournament. It meant nothing to me so I’m sure it means nothing to the other players.

“It’s just as much motivation if not more to take out a seed. I just really want to have fun this week and try and enjoy it because it’s the last one of the season and I feel like I’m really in a positive mind space.”

Wang is ranked down at 106 but, as Raducanu has expertly demonstrated this year, that can count for little, and the Chinese player is in good form having already won three matches this week – two in qualifying and then a first-round victory over Kateryna Kozlova on Monday.

“I’m happy that I get the chance to play her and I will just try to enjoy it and play my tennis,” said the 20-year-old Wang.

“Girls’ tennis has always been not a huge gap between players that are in the top 20 or top 100, or even 150. I think it’s just a few matches that gives you confidence, I think everybody can play so there are no easy matches and everybody can win if you believe in yourself and believe in your shots.”

Emma Raducanu Wang Xinyu

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