Emma Raducanu Given Wild Card Into Main Draw For 2025 Qatar Open
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Emma Raducanu has been given an opportunity to find form after receiving a wild card for the main draw of the 2025 Qatar Open.
In her most recent match, the 2021 US Open champion lost in the opening round of the ongoing Abu Dhabi Open against Marketa Vondrousova. That was the WTA star's third consecutive loss after she had made a promising start to the season.
Raducanu reached the third round of the 2025 Australian Open by defeating Amanda Anisimova, weathering the American's heavy hitting with much impressive athleticism and defensive shots in Melbourne.
That positive run at the season's opening Grand Slam ended after Iga Swiatek hammered Raducanu, losing just one game. This showed how far the Briton is from being near the level needed to challenge for a Grand Slam again.
Cristina Bucsa defeated Raducanu at the Singapore Open, her first match since the Australian Open. Although it was a grueling battle and a tough match to lose, the 22-year-old found positives in her performance afterward.
The 2024 Nottingham Open semifinalist's ranking meant she did not automatically qualify for the main draw of next week's Qatar Open, the first WTA 1000 tournament of the season, which would have made winning her first main draw match since the Australian Open in Doha less likely.
However, Raducanu's star quality and name recognition from winning the US Open a few years ago as a teenager means she often receives wild cards for events, and that has happened once again at the Qatar Open.
Raducanu lost in the opening round of last year's Qatar Open to Anna Kalinskaya. That was a tough draw, as Kalanskaya's form during the first half of 2024 was outstanding, as shown by her reaching the Dubai Championships final the week after the event in Doha.
The Briton will hope for a better draw this year. She does not have long to wait to find out her opponent since the draw is scheduled for Friday, and the opening day of the tournament is Sunday.
Raducanu is one of several high-profile players on the Qatar Open entry list. Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Iga Swiatek are among those set to compete at the opening WTA 1000 event of the season.
Those three players will all be looking to respond strongly from the Australian Open. Gauff lost in the quarterfinal to Paula Badosa after her forehand broke down several times against the Spaniard throughout the match.
Swiatek had a match point to beat Madison Keys in the deciding set of their semifinal, but she could not convert it. That allowed her opponent to recover and win the dramatic battle in a 10-point tiebreak.
Sabalenka was the two-time defending champion in Melbourne. However, Keys completed her dream run and won a maiden Grand Slam title by beating her 7-5 in the third set after a match filled with ferocious hitting.
Those three players trying to bounce back from those setbacks already made the Qatar Open fascinating. Raducanu's presence in the main draw will only add to that.
