Emma Raducanu awarded wild card for Indian Wells
WTA
Emma Raducanu didn't have sufficient ranking to qualify for the 2023 BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells directly, and she was absent from the main draw entry list.
The WTA 1000 event, which is played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden from March 8th to 19th in 2023, is often considered to be the fifth Grand Slam, as it's the biggest non-major event in both calendars.
This year, it will be held for the 34th time as a WTA tournament, and Emma Raducanu will be there, even though it initially didn't look like it, as her name was absent from the entry list.
After winning the 2021 US Open, Raducanu jumped into the Top 10 of the WTA Rankings, but she saw her rankings drop following an unsuccessful title defense last year.
However, thanks to her undeniable qualities and big popularity, the 20-year-old was awarded a wild card for the WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells.
She will be joining fellow Grand Slam champions such as Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Jelena Ostapenko, Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka, and many more in the field of the 2023 Indian Wells Open.
Although Raducanu was awarded a wild card, it's expected that it may go to someone else eventually, as she's only the third player on the alternates list, and so three withdrawals would push her to the main draw.
She likely received the wild card as a confirmation from the tournament organizers that she could add the tournament to her calendar, avoiding the wait for the withdrawals.
Nonetheless, fans can now be sure that Raducanu will compete at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, and it will surely be a big opportunity for her to add some points and move up in the rankings to automatically qualify for such events in the future.
