Emma Raducanu will not compete in qualifying for the French Open net week. The Briton has decided to withdraw from the event after missing out on a wildcard but it is thought to be a strategic choice rather than an injury problem. No official reason has yet been given for the withdrawal.
The 2021 US Open did not automatically qualify for a place in the clay-court Major in Paris due to her world ranking. She is now 212th in the world having previously been as high as 10th.
As it stands she is third on the list of alternates, meaning she could still enter the main draw without needing to qualify if other players pull out of Roland Garros.
Qualifying begins Monday (May 20) with the Slam itself getting underway in the French capital next Sunday.
But the decision is a hint that Raducanu will spend extra time preparing for Wimbledon, her home Grand Slam, which begins on July 1.
The 21-year-old has not played since April 24, when she lost in the first round of the Madrid Open. After a surprising 6-2, 6-2 loss to qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle, Raducanu confessed to being “mentally and emotionally exhausted”.
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