Emma Raducanu's injury issues have led to more withdrawals, but the Briton has not given up on returning before the end of the season.
Raducanu had high hopes of playing many tournaments during the Asian swing and attaining good results after being criticized by some for her decision-making during the North American hardcourt swing.
The 21-year-old started well in North America by reaching the quarterfinal of the Citi Open. She only narrowly lost to Paula Badosa, who went on to win the title in Washington.
Many fans and analysts were shocked when Raducanu chose not to enter the qualifying stages of the Canadian or Cincinnati Open. As a result, she had not played a match for three weeks before her opening US Open match.
That may have cost the former winner at Flushing Meadows in the opening round against Sofia Kenin, who beat her in three sets. Andy Roddick was among those who criticized Raducanu's decision to play so little before the year's final Grand Slam.
Raducanu attempted to learn from that mistake by planning a busier schedule during the Asian swing. She began at the Korea Open and got to the quarterfinal after victories against Peyton Stearns and Yue Yuan.
Unfortunately, Raducanu was forced to retire after 31 minutes of her quarterfinal in Korea against Daria Kasatkina. A foot injury had caused the Briton issues throughout the opening set before her retirement.
A subsequent social media update from Raducanu revealed she had sprained ligaments in her foot. After missing the China Open, she was also forced to withdraw from the final WTA-1000 tournament of the year in Wuhan.
Raducanu's next scheduled tournaments were the WTA 500 at the Ningbo Open and the WTA 250 at the Guangzhou Open. However, she will not be able to play at either of those events.
The 2021 US Open champion was photographed back in the United Kingdom at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London - wearing a protective boot on her injured foot.
It may have been tempting for Raducanu to announce the end of her season at this late stage. Others, such as Ons Jabeur and Maria Sakkari took that decision to fully recover from their injury issues.
However, Raducanu remains determined to return to the court before the 2024 season ends. She is on the Hong Kong Open entry list and has yet to withdraw from that tournament.
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals may partially explain Raducanu's determination to return to the court before 2025. In the qualifiers in April, Great Britain upset France away from home.
Raducanu was the most pivotal part of that success. She produced two of her best performances of 2024 to overcome Caroline Garcia and Diane Parry on clay, which is generally considered her weakest surface.
Great Britain will face Germany in the round of 16 of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on November 15th. If they prevail, they will play defending champions Canada. Raducanu's presence would undoubtedly help the team's chances.