Emma Raducanu is not assured a main draw spot for this year's Roland Garros because of her low ranking and might potentially need to play qualifying.
The entry list for this year's Roland Garros women's tournament was released. A cutoff mark of No. 99 is set for automatic entry and is based on actual WTA rankings.
Eight players will use a special ranking (SR) to enter the main draw. These include Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Irina Camelia Begu, Amanda Anisimova, Bianca Andreescu, Julia Grabher, Alison Van Uytvanck, and Aleksandra Krunic.
Raducanu is among four players using a special ranking, but only sufficient for the qualifying rounds. The British tennis sensation qualifies for an SR of No. 103, which would have been adequate to garner a main draw spot in previous tournaments.
But because of a slew of entrants with a higher special ranking, it is deja vu for Raducanu. The 21-year-old suffered a similar fate at the Australian Open, where she was made to sweat until days before the main draw started to avoid the hurdle of qualifying.
Raducanu is the fifth alternate for the main draw and will need at least five withdrawals to earn a main draw spot. In Melbourne, there was a significant number of withdrawals that enabled the former US Open champion to earn an unlikely main draw berth.
At the moment, three women who are slated for the main draw at Roland Garros face fitness concerns. These are Paula Badosa (who retired in Stuttgart), Bianca Andreescu (who hasn't played since August 2023), and Jodie Burrage (who underwent wrist surgery).
So, all is not lost on Raducanu, and she might sneak in through the backdoor, just like at the Australian Open. The French Open organizers also did not name their wild cards, which is another criterion for playing in the main draw.
If a main draw berth opens up for Raducanu, she will be unseeded, increaing her chances of drawing a Top 32 seed in the first round.
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