Emma Raducanu’s preparations for the US Open have hit a major snag as she was not granted a wildcard for the Cincinnati Open, leaving her with just one hard-court tournament under her belt this summer.
Following a strong performance at Wimbledon, Raducanu began her hard-court season in Washington, where she reached the quarterfinals before falling to Paula Badosa in a closely contested three-set match.
However, Raducanu’s momentum was halted when she was overlooked for wildcards at both the Toronto and Cincinnati WTA 1000 events. Without qualifying for either tournament, she has been left with limited match play ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year. This unexpected setback means Raducanu may enter the US Open with minimal hard-court experience, a significant disadvantage for the former world No. 10.
Raducanu had planned to focus exclusively on the hard-court season after opting out of the Paris Olympics, citing the need to avoid switching surfaces and risking injury.
In Washington, she explained her decision, stating:
“Staying on one surface is important. The change of surface isn’t the best thing for me right now. I didn’t want to risk anything.”
As the US Open approaches, it remains to be seen if Raducanu will seek more match opportunities, potentially at the WTA 250 event in Cleveland. However, with time running out, her preparation for the year’s final major is far from ideal.
