Emma Raducanu has not competed for the last three weeks and has been advised to carefully evaluate her schedule with the likely prospect of playing Roland Garros qualifying.
This week, Raducanu withdrew from the upcoming Strasbourg Open, which will begin on Sunday, May 19th. The British tennis star had initially accepted a wild card into the WTA 500 event in a surprise move.
Raducanu was slated to play the French Open qualifying rounds because her special ranking of No. 103 was not sufficient to meet the cut-off entry for the main draw. Playing in Strasbourg would mean she forfeited her spot in Paris for the clay Slam.
Her decision to withdraw ahead of schedule from Strasbourg is likely geared towards Raducanu playing qualifying in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since her historic US Open win in 2021.
Because she did not receive a wild card from the French Open organizers, which was the only realistic way of entering the main draw in Paris. However, the 21-year-old has not been near the tennis courts since a shock first-round exit at the Madrid Open.
In an interview on Sky Sports, former player and tennis pundit Colin Fleming believes it is imperative that Raducanu assesses her schedule and meticulously plans for the remainder of the clay swing. According to the former ATP pro, the absence of planning has a direct impact on poor performance.
"Emma (Raducanu) and her team need to have an open conversation [about her plans]. It’s been a largely positive start to the season. How do you schedule the next few weeks to make sure you do better. Is it to miss the rest of the clay and be ready for the grass?"
"She doesn’t want to play and put in more performances like that [in Madrid], because then it becomes a bit of a habit. She needs to wipe the slate clean and make better decisions. I’d love to see her go to Roland Garros and play, even if it’s qualifying. If she’s fit and healthy, of course she can qualify. Once you’re in the main draw, who knows what can happen."
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