Emma Raducanu’s return to tennis has been delayed after she withdrew from an exhibition match in Macau in December.
Raducanu was set to compete at the two-day event on December 2 and 3 alongside Daria Kasatkina and Chinese youngster Wang Xinyu.
It would have been the first time Raducanu had played since April, having undergone surgery on her wrists and ankle in May.
Her comeback is now likely to be pushed back until 2024, but when will the former US Open champion return to the court? And will she be ready for the 2024 Australian Open?
When will Raducanu return to the WTA Tour?
Raducanu’s comeback date remains up in the air.
She has not played since losing to Jelena Ostapenko in Stuttgart in mid-April.
She underwent surgery a month after that loss and missed the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. She has dropped to No. 289 in the world rankings due to her time away from the tour.
Raducanu posted a video on social media on August 2 of her hitting on court with the message: "The fun part. First time back on court”.
She has recently posted training videos, one alongside a caption saying “another week closer”.
With her withdrawal from Macau it does not seem likely that Raducanu will play this year, but the 2024 season is not far away.
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- Raducanu withdraws from exhibition match in Macau
The first event of the new campaign is the United Cup, a team competition which begins on December 29.
Raducanu is not signed up to play for Great Britain at the United Cup and may instead target the Brisbane International or ASB Classic in Auckland, which start on January 1.
Raducanu might not have the best memories of Auckland from her time there at the start of this season.
She had to retire from her match against Viktoria Kuzmova after appearing to roll her ankle. The match had been moved indoors due to rain and Raducanu seemed to question whether the courts were suitable to play on.
After Auckland there is another week of tournaments before the Australian Open starts on January 14.
WTA 2024 January calendar
- December 29 - January 7: United Cup
- January 1-7: Brisbane International and ASB Classic
- January 8-13: Adelaide International and Hobart International
- January 14-28: Australian Open
Raducanu has lost in the second round of the Grand Slam for the last two years.
Raducanu would likely not have an issue getting a wild card for any pre-Australian Open event due to her status as a former Grand Slam winner.
And for the Australian Open she would be able to use a protected ranking of 103 which might be enough to get her into the main draw.
What has Raducanu said about a return?
Raducanu spoke about her recovery and comeback plans earlier this month.
While she did not set out a firm timeline, Raducanu said she was “itching” to get back on court and expects to be in a “better headspace” than before.
“Through the whole period, I’ve been doing a lot off court, reading a lot and watching some tennis. Mentally, I feel like I’m in a better place to compete now than I ever have been before since the US Open,” she told Amazon Prime.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/09/12/3217241-65900088-2560-1440.jpg "Emma Raducanu: When will former US Open champion return to tennis? Will she play the 2024 Australian Open? - Eurosport (1)")
Emma Raducanu won the US Open in 2021
Image credit: Getty Images
“I just really wanted to expand what I do off the court because obviously when you’re playing you have little to no time to do anything. So, it was nice to have some time to learn new skills and do things I’d never done or tried before. At the end of the day, I’m itching to get back on court.
“I’m hoping to get back on board for next season. I know it’s going to be difficult when you haven’t competed for a long time, like almost a year. It’s going to probably take me some tournaments to get up to speed. But, once I do, I think I’m in a better headspace to compete now.”
Raducanu played only nine matches in 2023 and had battled several injury issues since her US Open win in 2021.
Who will be Raducanu's next coach?
Raducanu has not got a dedicated full-time coach at the moment after parting ways with Sebastian Sachs, her fifth coach in the last two years.
Her agent Max Eisenbud defended her high turnover of coaches in the summer, saying it is something she is likely to do "for the rest of her career".
“It's probably going to be like that for the rest of her career. That's what's comfortable for them [Raducanu's camp]," Eisenbud told The Tennis Podcast.
"I'm not saying it is right or wrong, but that is the way they have done it, and I think it is fine to do things differently.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2023/11/13/3825631-77745548-2560-1440.jpg "Emma Raducanu: When will former US Open champion return to tennis? Will she play the 2024 Australian Open? - Eurosport (2)")
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"Emma and her dad have their own philosophy. Richard Williams (father of Venus and Serena) had his own philosophy, which was different, and Yuri Sharapova (father of Maria) had his.
"We are not sitting in a sport that has a plethora of great coaches - maybe eight, nine or 10 great coaches.
"Most of the great, great coaches don't want to travel for 35 or 40 weeks a year and leave their families, so you have a small pool that are willing to travel and charge very little money, so they keep getting recycled and recycled. That is why you see coaches hopping around."
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