British star Emma Raducanu’s fall down in the WTA rankings is unavoidable as she recovers from wrist surgeries. Raducanu’s latest dip saw her drop out of the top 250 on the WTA list. Raducanu’s 110 ranking points from her run to the Korea Open semi-final last year will be deducted from her total next week, putting the 2021 US Open champion at about 275 when the revised rankings are announced. It is certainly a fall from grace for a woman who broke into the top 10 after her incredible win at the US Open two years ago, but Raducanu’s career has been plagued since that time.
Criticism that she was too interested in the business deals she signed following her Flushing Meadows victory produced the public idea that this sporting superstar had lost her desire for additional success on the court.
Those who have been watching her development as she has trained at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre in London over the last several weeks have speculated that the 20-year-old has been increasing her workload in preparation for a return to the court, and she has now confirmed that she plans to return in 2024.
Next season I’ll be back. This season all the slams were finished so it was difficult to watch them go by but I was trying to stay in my lane as much as possible and keep focused on my recovery. The fact they are still talking about me even though I’m not at these events is just a compliment. Someone told me ‘Worry when they are not talking about you’, Raducanu said in an interview with BBC London.
Raducanu’s probable return to the game was not mentioned in her latest comments, and with the 2023 season coming to an end, a return next year becomes more likely. The good news for Raducanu is that her falling ranking should not impede her chances of entering tournaments when she returns, and with few ranking points to defend, a surge up the WTA rankings should be conceivable if she can stay healthy.
Former British No.1 Laura Robson has backed Raducanu to shine on her return. We know she has got the game to do it. She has the ball striking ability, she is a great mover and a great all-round player and she competes, Robson told Tennis365. All you can do is stay as healthy as possible and try to play as many matches as possible to see where you go, she added.
