Emma Raducanu’s pre-US Open approach questioned in ‘strange’ verdict by Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick has questioned Emma Raducanu’s decision not to enter tournaments through qualifying ahead of the 2024 US Open.
The former world No 1 believes Raducanu’s scheduling approach is made “even stranger” by the fact Naomi Osaka “put pride on the side” to play qualifying in Cincinnati.
Raducanu played her only tournament since Wimbledon at the WTA 500 event in Washington, where she won two matches to reach the quarter-finals.
The world No 72 will arrive at the US Open having not played a match for almost a month after she missed the WTA 1000 tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati.
The 21-year-old’s ranking was not high enough for a main draw spot at either tournament and she opted not to enter the qualifying events.
Raducanu might have required a wildcard into qualifying for the Canadian Open, which she likely would have received if requested. In Cincinnati, her ranking would have been good enough to enter the qualifying draw.
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The Brit’s apparent reluctance to go through qualifying for tournaments this season has drawn criticism from some quarters.
Raducanu’s stunning triumph at the 2021 US Open saw her become the only player in tennis history to win a Grand Slam title as a qualifier. She was ranked 150th in the world at the time and did not drop a set in her 10 matches across qualifying and the main draw.
Speaking on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, Roddick pointed out that Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner and former world No 1, played qualifying at the Cincinnati Open.
“Raducanu, I loved what she was building through Washington, and then she decided she wasn’t going to play qualifiers in any of the tournaments, which is even stranger when you see someone like Naomi Osaka put pride on the side and go play qualifiers in Cincinnati,” said the American.
“Those of us questioning that decision maybe felt validated once we see someone like an Osaka go play qualifying. So, we don’t know, I loved what Raducanu was building at Wimbledon, I loved the continuation of that in Washington.”
Journalist Jon Wertheim then posed the following statement: “Isn’t it weird that Raducanu is now so averse to playing qualifiers when the one breakthrough tournament of her career came when she got all that momentum after having qualified?”
Roddick, a 2003 US Open champion, replied: “Yeah, that is weird. I don’t know if I would’ve ever had any ego about playing qualifiers if I had to.
“If anything, I would’ve welcomed the chance to get some reps where I didn’t have to be near perfect to win.”
Raducanu will face world No 54 Sofia Kenin, who won the 2020 Australian Open, in the first round at the US Open.
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