Emma Raducanu confirms next event after US Open exit as she embarks on journey of ‘new experiences’

WTA Tour

Tennis365
September 7, 2022

Emma Raducanu will return to action next week after accept a wildcard entry into the WTA 250 Slovenia Open in Portoroz.

The British No 1’s defence of her US Open title ended with a first-round loss to Alize Cornet last week and she has decided to add an extra tournament to her calendar.

The event is on the lowest tier of WTA tournaments but has a relatively strong field, with Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, last year’s French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova and the in-form Beatriz Haddad Maia from Brazil also signing up.

The 19-year-old Raducanu is set to be the top seed for the event as the seedings are based on the WTA Rankings from August 29.

Speaking after her defeat by Cornet, which will see her ranking fall from 11 to around 83 when the rankings are updated on September 13, Raducanu said: “The most exciting thing is trying to do well at each of the different tournaments.

“Regardless of what it is, it sounds weird, but, US Open defending champion, obviously it would have been great to defend the title, but I want new experiences. In a way I’ve done that so I want another tournament.

“It doesn’t really matter what it is. I think any player would be happy to win a tournament. I think it makes a massive difference no matter what the level is.”

The teenager is yet to win three matches in a row since her success at Flushing Meadows last year, but the good news is she doesn’t have too many points to defend for the remainder of 2022 as she won only two games after her US Open title.

After Portoroz, Raducanu is due to head to Asia for the Korea Open beginning on September 19.

The Bryan brothers, who won dozens of titles and dominated the ATP doubles circuit, backed Raducanu to bounce back following her US Open exit.

“It happens in all sports when you have increased expectations and pressures,” Bob Bryan told Tennis365.

“She is not spending so much time on the court now. She has photo shoots and sponsor commitments. That’s all part of growing up and becoming a superstar.

“She is going to get better at dealing with that as she grows up and gets more experienced and I think you are going to see her solidify herself in the top ten next year.

“She has got the game. We saw what she did to Serena Williams in Cincinnati. All the potential is there and it’s all about putting it together day after day.”

Emma Raducanu