It has not been an easy season so far for Emma Raducanu, but she will have another chance to find form on hard courts at the Citi Open, which begins at the start of August.
The 2021 US Open champion's record on hard courts in 2022 is not up to the standard she would expect. She has only won two of her seven matches on the surface.
Raducanu's clay results were slightly better but not overly impressive. This included a solid run to the quarterfinal in Stuttgart, where she lost to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in straight sets.
Currently, Raducanu's focus is on preparing for the grass-court season. Her first tournament on grass is set to be on home soil at the Nottingham Open, which might give her some needed inspiration.
After the end of the grass-court season, Raducanu will turn her attention to the North American hard-court season. The 19-year-old's memories from her incredible US Open triumph last year during that swing may also give her a boost.
The Citi Open, which now contains an ATP and WTA event, will be Raducanu's first stop during the North American swing. Unsurprisingly, Citi Open chairman Mark Ein is very happy to have Raducanu's commitment to the tournament.
“The past few weeks have been very exciting for Washington tennis fans. We officially announced the return of the Hologic WTA Tour to the Citi Open, and now, the reigning US Open champion will compete in our player field this August,”
Raducanu made a statement, saying she is delighted there will be WTA action at the event and is excited to compete at the tournament.
“I’m thrilled that the Citi Open is bringing back its WTA tournament and I’m really excited to compete on the courts in DC for the first time, The past year has been an unforgettable time in my tennis career and I look forward to adding new memories in Washington this summer.”