Emma Raducanu has been backed to win more majors by her and Andy Murray’s former coach, Mark Petchey, who claimed that the 2021 US Open champion ‘is one of the best athletes on the tour’.

Raducanu spent eight months on the injury sidelines last year, after undergoing surgeries to both wrists and her left ankle, before returning at the Auckland Classic in January.

Since coming back to the WTA Tour, the 21-year-old has won three of her seven matches, with her most recent coming in the form of a defeat to Anhelina Kalinina in Doha.

Despite this, Petchey appears impressed with the player he coached for a brief period in 2020, “She is moving well. She’s probably one of the best athletes out there on the tour right now. She moves phenomenally well, I don’t think we talk about it enough. If the game is there, then the athleticism backs up.”

Raducanu has often been criticised for her frequent changing of coaches, with the Brit having a total of five coaches across two years.

She is now working with childhood coach Nick Cavaday, and Petchey revealed his hope for Raducanu to have more stability this year.

“I personally would like to see a little bit more consistency in her team,” said the former top 100 player. “But the one thing I will say about Emma is the 10 months that I spent with her, there was not a day, there was not a minute that she didn’t put in. Every single time she hit a tennis ball, and it was 100 percent commitment to it.”

Petchey continued his defence of Raducanu and backed the former world No.10 to add to her Grand Slam tally, “I think there are people out there that have a very wrong perception of what she is like as a person and as a competitor out there. She is going to give everything to this sport. And ultimately I believe she will be a multiple Grand Slam champion.”

Raducanu revealed that she would be heading home to practice after her early exit in Doha, and it is currently unclear as to what her next tournament will be.

Inside the baseline…

Emma Raducanu receives a lot of flack, a lot of which is unnecessary, so it is nice to hear someone who has firsthand experience describe her in such a positive light. Although Raducanu has a win percentage of less than 50% so far in 2024, there have been a lot of positive signs, even in the defeats. Hopefully Raducanu decides to enter some lower calibre tournaments to allow herself the opportunity to get more match practice in and help build the ranking back up.

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Emma Raducanu has exited the first WTA 1000 event of the season in the first round, and the Brit gave a very honest reflection after her defeat in Doha.

Raducanu lost the first set against Anhelina Kalinina, 6-0, in just 22 minutes and was broken in the first game of the second.

However, the 2021 US Open champion fought back and saved two match points to force a tie-break where she would have a set point of her own.

But, the 21-year-old’s Ukrainian opponent managed to withstand the pressure coming from her racket and held out to win in straight sets.

Raducanu hit a total of 48 unforced errors in her second career defeat to Kalinina and reflected on her performance when speaking to Sky Sports, “I was struggling with everything – serve, return, forehand, backhand. I felt like I never really got into it.”

She continued, “It was a combination of things. It was the first day match I have played in a year. That is different. I need to practice training outside a bit more. The lights, conditions, shadows, it is really hard to see the ball, I found towards the end.

“When my tennis isn’t there I have to try and at least fight and I did that in the second set. I just struggled with the timing of the ball. It will come with more time practising as well as matches.”

There is another WTA 1000 event taking place in the Middle East next week in Dubai, but Raducanu confirmed that she would be skipping it and heading back to the United Kingdom to practice.

Raducanu has won three out of her seven matches since returning from surgeries to both wrists and her left ankle and spoke about how she needs to improve her schedule going forward.

“It is hard for me to get used to the tour schedule,” admitted Raducanu. “It is one tournament then another straight away. I need to schedule my tournaments a bit better and try to get more matches under my belt.”

???? "I felt like I never really got into it"

Emma Raducanu admits that she struggled with 'everything' following her 1st round exit from the Qatar Open pic.twitter.com/2mp2fr5Z7X

— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) February 13, 2024

It is currently unclear as to when Raducanu will next compete on the WTA Tour, with the current world No.262 having the majority of her ranking points to defend at the upcoming Indian Wells tournament.

Inside the baseline…

It was a performance of two halves for Emma Raducanu, who looked really off the boil in the first set before showing real resilience in the second. The set point in the second set tie-break looked as though it could have gone either way, which could obviously had led to a very different outcome, so it is important that Raducanu isn’t too hard on herself. That being said, with Raducanu’s ranking being well below her capability, she is being handed very tricky draws at these big tournaments, so maybe it would be a good idea for her to play some WTA 250 events or maybe even Challengers to help build the ranking back up and provide more matchplay for the young Brit.

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It is set to be another enthralling week on the tennis tour, with the first WTA 1000 event of the year taking place in Doha, and both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are set to play their first matches since the Australian Open.

And we, at Tennishead, have all the information on how you can watch the action this week:

How can you watch WTA Doha?

The first WTA 1000 event of the year is already underway in the Middle East, as seven of the top 10 players feature including two-time defending champion and world No.1, Iga Swiatek, as well as Coco Gauff and Abu Dhabi winner Elena Rybakina.

Yessss????????????????????

Congratulations on your well-deserved achievements @JLPegula
Huge respect ???????? pic.twitter.com/N1JQoqWjtj

— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) February 18, 2023

There are three other former champions in the draw in the forms of Victoria Azarenka, Karolina Pliskova and Elise Mertens.

Wildcards have been given to 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, Paula Badosa, Anna Kalinskaya and Zeynep Sonmez (already out), as they look to compete for big ranking point offerings in the Qatari capital.

Naomi Osaka is also present in Doha, as she bids to return to form following giving birth to her daughter, but faces a tough opening round match in Caroline Garcia, who beat the former No.1 at the Australian Open.

You can watch the Qatar Open on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland or on Tennis Channel in the United States of America.

For more information on how to watch the WTA 1000 tournament in your location, visit the official website here.

READ MORE – Qatar Open 2024 Preview: When is it, who is playing and what is the prize money?

How can you watch ATP Rotterdam?

The biggest tournament on the ATP Tour this week is on the indoor hardcourts of Rotterdam, featuring Australian Open champion and 2023 runner-up Jannik Sinner as the top seed.

Our top seed and reigning Australian Open champion has arrived! ????????

Welcome back Jannik! ???? #abnamroopen pic.twitter.com/kyd69QG8hd

— ABN AMRO Open (@abnamroopen) February 9, 2024

Sinner lost out in a three set battle to Daniil Medvedev in the final last year, but will be hoping to go one better next week in the Italian’s first tournament since his maiden Grand Slam triumph.

Rotterdam has seen many legendary champions over the years, with the ATP 500 tournament producing a winner’s circle including Arthur Ashe, Bjorn Borg, Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, to name a few.

Looking to join this list alongside Sinner are Holger Rune, Hubert Hurkacz and Alex de Minaur, with Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gael Monfils also hoping to be victorious in The Netherlands once again.

You can watch the action in Rotterdam on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland or on Tennis TV worldwide.

For more information on how to watch the illustrious tournament in your location, visit the official ATP website here.

How can you watch ATP Buenos Aires?

Carlos Alcaraz is bidding to defend his crown in the Argentinian capital next week, in the Spaniard’s first tournament since his uncharacteristic Australian Open quarter-final defeat.

The Wimbledon champion beat British No.1 Cameron Norrie in the final last year, who is also returning in a ploy for revenge over the 20-year-old.

Diego Schwartzman is the only other former champion in the draw, with the home favourite requiring a wildcard after slipping to No.117 in the world rankings.

You can watch centre court action in Buenos Aires on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland or on Tennis TV worldwide.

For more information on how to watch the South American clay court swing in your location, visit the official ATP website here.

How can you watch ATP Delray Beach?

The final tournament of the week comes on the outdoor hard courts of Delray Beach, Florida, with all top three seeds American in the forms of defending champion Taylor Fritz, 2018 winner Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.

Fritz and Tiafoe are currently the only former champions in the main draw, but could be joined by 2019 winner Radu Albot, if the Moldovan is able to win his final qualifying match later today.

Wildcards have been given to an all-American lineup of Aleksandar Kovacevic, Patrick Kypson and Emilio Nava.

You can watch centre court matches in Delray Beach on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland or on Tennis TV worldwide.

For more information on how to watch the American hard court tournament in your location, visit the official ATP website here.

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Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka are among a catalogue of household names who have made their long-awaited return to the tennis tour in 2024.

There were glimpses of optimism during the opening week of the campaign but since then, their comeback plans have not progressed in the way that was hoped for.

Remember the ‘Netflix curse’ of last season? A calamity of early exits and poor results for those involved in the Break Point documentary.

Well, this year, the comeback curse has landed.

Rafa Nadal’s injury woes stall comeback

Nadal’s absence on the ATP Tour was felt throughout 2023.

For tennis fans far and wide, life on tour is agonising enough without Swiss maestro Roger Federer.

Add an 11-month stint on the sidelines for Nadal to the mix and you are sure to exacerbate the state of affairs.

After an anticipated return to action, the crowds who flocked to the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane this January were not disappointed as they set their eyes on the 22-time major winner. It was as if the 37-year-old had never left.

He glided past 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem with ease before despatching Brisbane-born Jason Kubler in clinical fashion, reviving the form that is synonymous with the Nadal of yesteryear.

The bubble was burst, though, in the third round when any chance of a fairytale comeback evaporated into thin air.

The Spaniard blundered three match points en route to defeat to Jordan Thompson, later revealing a ‘micro tear’ in his hip and subsequently withdrawing from the Melbourne grand slam.

It constitutes an additional hurdle in the seemingly limited time he has competing at this level. But for Nadal, there is hope.

Unlike British legend Andy Murray, whose torrid run of form seems to be signalling the beginning of the end of his storybook career, Nadal has shown he is more than capable of competing at the top level.

That is, provided his health holds up.

Naomi Osaka’s parenting priorities

Winning a grand slam in tennis is no easy feat but, over a three year period, Osaka won four.

Shortly after her latest, at the 2021 Australian Open, the Japanese star disclosed that she had been grappling with mental health issues.

As a result, she refused to attend her media duties at the French Open and was subsequently fined $15,000.

Osaka was shedding light on the difficulties that top athletes struggle with – the realities of life on the tennis tour. Yet, she was marginalised even more.

Both WTA and ATP players echoed their support for the then world No.2 who was highlighting an important yet overlooked issue.

Ever since, Osaka was not the same. She was unable to pull a string of matches together like she once could, later revealing her squandering love for the sport.

The announcement of her pregnancy prior to the 2023 season did not come as a huge shock to the tennis world; it indicated a much-needed break.

After 12 months out, and the arrival of her daughter Shai, the 26-year-old former world No.1 felt ready to step foot on the baseline, much to the satisfaction of tennis fans worldwide.

Though things have not gone to plan for the four-time major champion so far. Her level is poles apart from that with which she once graced the court.

Parenting is a refreshing escape from the barmy world of tennis, and will undoubtedly come as a priority for Osaka, but she has not shied away from expressing her desire to reach the top once more – no matter how long it takes.

Emma Raducanu’s stop-start return

Raducanu’s emphatic run to the 2021 US Open is one of the greatest moments to come from sport in recent years.

At just 18 years of age, she become the first qualifier in Open Era history to life a major trophy. Her subsequent journey, however, has been a significantly tougher path to navigate.

Injuries have hampered her performances, that is clear, but critics have also attributed her string of poor form to the pressure that comes with achieving greatness at a young age.

Her latest comeback resumed at the turn of the year after an eight-month hiatus as she recovered from triple surgery – on both wrists and an ankle.

The Brit has since produced promising displays against a varied calibre of opposition. But her return to top-flight tennis has been nothing short of sporadic.

Raducanu’s comeback so far

As her current ranking nears No.300 in the world, Raducanu will have to hope for wildcard entries to tour-level tournaments, but has not dismissed the possibility of returning to the lower leagues in search of a boost of confidence.

Following a bruising defeat to her ‘idol’ Ons Jabeur, it is back to the drawing board for the former world No.10.

In stark contrast to others who are resurfacing, the 21-year-old is still finding her feet on tour and has time on her side.

What about Andy Murray and Dominic Thiem?

The comeback curse also seems to be striking those who have been re-emerging for some time.

Three-time grand slam champion Murray flirted with the idea of retirement in 2019, but has since been on a determined path to disprove his doubters.

Though the Brit might finally succumb this year as his frustration heightens, coinciding with six consecutive defeats.

Despite reaffirming his commitment to the sport and his motivation to succeed, Murray doesn’t seem to be enjoying his tennis.

Similarly, Austrian Thiem finds himself at a crossroads in his fruitful career. Since returning from injury setbacks in 2022, he is a mere shadow of his former self.

Both are deep into their respective comebacks, and the severity of their situations are intensifying.

Regardless of what they decide the next step to be, seeing them suffer is nothing short of heartbreaking for tennis lovers worldwide.

READ MORE – Rafael Nadal and other stars who may be announcing their retirement in 2024

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Emma Raducanu has heaped praise on her opponent later today, Ons Jabeur, thanking the two-time Wimbledon finalist for taking the Brit ‘under her wing’. 

Raducanu won her opening round match at the Abu Dhabi Open in impressive fashion on Monday, beating world No.36 Marie Bouzkova in straight sets.

This was the 21-year-old’s first top 50 win in almost a year, after spending eight months on the sidelines following surgeries to both wrists and her left ankle.

As a result, Raducanu is now set to play world No.6 Ons Jabeur, in a first-time meeting on the WTA Tour.

The 2021 US Open champion has never beaten a top 10 player before, but appears to be embracing the challenge, as well as waxing lyrical about Jabeur.

“She’s definitely the home favourite here, rightfully so,” said Raducanu. “I really like Ons, she’s someone who’s kind of taken me under her wing as I’ve been new to the tour.”

The No.296 continued, “I’m really looking forward to it because a lot of people were saying to me [during her first-round match], ‘Oh, Ons, Ons, Ons!’ And I was like, ‘I’m playing Marie who’s ranked like 30 in the world, so that’s not an easy match!’ But I’m really pleased to have put myself in this situation, and I’m going out with nothing to lose against her.”

Although it is a first-time meeting between the pair on the WTA Tour, Jabeur did beat Raducanu in a three set exhibition match in Abu Dhabi back in 2022.

They will take to Stadium Court at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open last today, as both players bid to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 tournament.

Jam-packed day in Abu Dhabi ????

[7] Kasatkina vs. Krueger
[6] Haddad Maia vs. Linette
[3] Sakkari vs. Cirstea
[2] Jabeur vs. Raducanu@MubadalaADOpen pic.twitter.com/aAUUuHprhH

— wta (@WTA) February 7, 2024

Inside the baseline…

It is certainly a very exciting prospect for Emma Raducanu to play Ons Jabeur later today, with it seeming that many believe the Brit has a genuine opportunity to obtain her first top 10 win. A lot of this is fuelled by Jabeur’s most recent match, where she was beaten by 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva and won only two games at the Australian Open. Hopefully the match will live up to its hype, with lots of winners and finesse on show.

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Emma Raducanu has admitted that she is ‘far from the finished product’, as the Brit reveals her main goals for the season. 

Raducanu spent eight months on the injury sidelines last year, having undergone surgery to both wrists and her left ankle.

The 21-year-old made her long awaited return at the WTA 250 event in Auckland last month, beating Elena Gabriela Ruse in the first round before losing a three set battle to eventual runner-up Elina Svitolina.

She then went onto make her Grand Slam comeback at the Australian Open, with a similar fate of winning her opening round and then going onto lose a tight three set second round match.

And Raducanu has spoken about how she is still trying to get back to match fitness, “I’m still finding my feet on the matchcourt, I’m not fully there but that will come with time.

“I’m just trying to improve my game because I’m not the finished product, far from it. I feel like now is the time to start because I’ve had some illness and injuries over the couple of years since [winning the US Open in 2021], so I’m looking forward to working on my game, improving my level and the results will take care of themselves.”

Even before undergoing surgery, Raducanu had struggled with a variety of different injury woes that prevented her from progressing as hoped for after the historic run to the US Open title.

The former No.10 has explained her frustration from the past two years, “I’ve never really had the chance to do proper training weeks back-to-back. For six or seven months, before I ended up having the surgeries, I was only practising one or two hours a day just to limit the load on the wrists.”

Raducanu continued, “In a way, it’s frustrating that the last couple of years haven’t been how I’ve wanted but I think we take a lesson from everything and now is the time to start that work, and I’m really enjoying it.”

The now ranked No.296 is continuing her comeback in Abu Dhabi later today and has revealed her goals for the season, “For me, success would be seeing my level improving in practice first and then in matches.

“I know that when my level will be there, putting it into a match will take some time to apply. But I know that seeing the level increase, that results will follow. Also, I would love to win a title of any grade.”

Emma Raducanu will play world No.36 Marie Bouzkova at the WTA 500 event in the Middle East this afternoon, in a first-time meeting between the pair.

Emma’s first #MubadalaAbuDhabiOpen match takes place tomorrow, Monday 5th ????

Are you coming down for round one?#Mubadala #AbuDhabiSC #InAbuDhabi #WTA pic.twitter.com/1b5jsuyq5V

— Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open (@MubadalaADOpen) February 4, 2024

Inside the baseline…

It has clearly been an extremely challenging time for Emma Raducanu since winning the 2021 US Open, both physically and mentally. Raducanu has been very open about the fact that she would be happy to drop down to the Challenger scene, which could be a good idea to get as much match practice in as possible. That being said, the former British No.1 has not looked too far off the pace in her comeback so far, but will need to be on form to compete with a tricky player in Marie Bouzkova.

READ NEXT – Abu Dhabi Open 2024 Preview: When is it, who is playing and what is the prize money?

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It is set to be a stacked week on the tennis tour, with a total of five events, featuring some of the biggest stars at the Abu Dhabi Open, Open 13 Provence and more!

And we, at Tennishead, have all the information on how you can watch the likes of Naomi Osaka, Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu:

How can you watch the Abu Dhabi Open (WTA 500)?

The stand out event from the week is in the Middle East, with nine of the top 20 ranked WTA players competing at the third Abu Dhabi Open.

Elena Rybakina is the top seed and could face a blockbuster second round match with former No.1 Naomi Osaka, who received a wildcard for the event.

Osaka is also set to compete in her first doubles match in six years, alongside three-time Grand Slam singles finalist Ons Jabeur.

Enter Main Draw Doubles wild card #OnSaka ????

For the first time ever @NaomiOsaka and @Ons_Jabeur are teaming up! They will compete in the doubles tournament at the #MubadalaAbuDhabiOpen.#Mubadala #InAbuDhabi #AbuDhabiSC #OnsJabeur #NaomiOsaka #WTA pic.twitter.com/lgkeWJuRxa

— Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open (@MubadalaADOpen) January 29, 2024

Raducanu is one of the other players to be awarded a wildcard, as she looks to continue her return after undergoing three surgeries.

You can watch the Abu Dhabi Open on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland or on Tennis Channel in the United States of America.

For more information on how to watch the stacked tournament in your location, visit the official WTA website here.

READ NEXT – Abu Dhabi Open 2024 Preview: When is it, who is playing and what is the prize money?

How can you watch the Open 13 Provence (ATP 250)?

There are three ATP 250 events taking place this week, with the 32nd edition of the Open 13 Provence in Marseille one of those.

The top seed is defending champion Hubert Hurkacz, however he is not the only former winner in the draw.

Andy Murray was also victorious on the indoor hard courts in southern France back in 2008, and he will be hoping for some vintage tennis as he looks to return to form.

Other top seeds in Marseille include Grigor Dimitrov, Karen Khachanov and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

You can watch the Open 13 Provence on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland or on Tennis TV worldwide.

For more information on how to watch the historic tournament in your location, visit the official ATP website here.

How can you watch the Dallas Open (ATP 250)?

Last year saw an incredible Dallas Open final take place, with Yibing Wu becoming the first ever Chinese ATP singles champion in history after beating the now retired John Isner. Unfortunately, Wu has not played since the US Open and is unable to defend his title.

However, the draw still features some big names with four top 20 players in the form of Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Adrian Mannarino.

You can watch the latter stages of the Dallas Open on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland or on Tennis TV worldwide.

For more information on how to watch the event in your location, visit the official ATP website here.

How can you watch the Transylvania Open (WTA 250)?

The 2023 Transylvania Open took place less than four months ago, but after a calendar change is back already!

You said: hey, how nice it would be to have this tournament more often. And we took that seriously ????

TRANSYLVANIA OPEN IS BACK IN 2024. IN FEBRUARY!
Mark the dates, because it’s almost here!#TO2024 ????‍???? pic.twitter.com/Ank2doTfDJ

— Transylvania Open (@TransylvaniaOpn) November 29, 2023

Former world No.1 Karolina Pliskova features in the draw, but is actually unseeded after dropping to No.77 in the rankings.

Also returning to Romania are the 2022 and 2023 champions in Anna Blinkova and Tamara Korpatsch, respectively.

Anastasija Sevastova is a surprise name in the draw, using a protected ranking as she looks to climb back up the ranks.

You can watch the final of the Transylvania Open on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland or on Tennis Channel in the United States of America.

For more information on how to watch the Romanian tournament in your location, visit the official WTA website here.

How can you watch the Cordoba Open (ATP 250)?

The final main tour event of the week is in Cordoba, Argentina, kicking off the south American clay court swing. And It is a very homebased field, with 10 of the 24 direct entrants to the event Argentinian.

This includes three of the top four ranked players, with third seed Sebastian Baez looking to defend his title from last year.

In fact, four of the five former champions are included in the draw, with Cristian Garin, Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Albert Ramos Vinolas also featuring.

You can watch the latter stages of the Cordoba Open on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland or on Tennis TV worldwide.

For more information on how to watch some clay court action in your location, visit the official ATP website here.

READ NEXT – Andy Murray Schedule: Where is the three-time Grand Slam champion attempting to return to form?

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The WTA Tour is heading to the Middle East, with the Abu Dhabi Open kicking things off ahead of an exciting few weeks. 

And we, at Tennishead, have got everything you need to know about the WTA 500 tournament:

When is the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open?

The main draw of the Abu Dhabi Open will begin on Monday 5th February, concluding with both the singles and doubles finals on Sunday 11th February.

Play on most days will commence at 1pm local time (9am GMT), with slightly differing times for qualifying over the coming weekend.

In case you needed more reasons to get tickets for the #MubadalaAbuDhabiOpen ????

Get your tickets here: https://t.co/3hsCIgOEYR#UAETennis #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/Oqg7bS0BOt

— Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open (@MubadalaADOpen) October 13, 2023

Where is the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open held?

The Abu Dhabi Open is held at at the International Tennis Centre, which is part of the Zayed Sports Centre, in the United Arab Emirates capital.

Inside the complex features two main matchcourts, with Centre Court holding a total of 5,000 spectators and Court 2 containing 600 people.

Who is playing at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open?

It is a strong field at the event in Abu Dhabi once again, with nine of the top 20 ranked players featuring, headlined by 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina as top seed.

Some of the other seeded players in the main draw include Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari, Barbora Krejcikova and Beatriz Haddad Maia.

There are no former champions in the tournament this year, however Liudmila Samsonova and Veronika Kudermetova are previous runners-up and will be looking to avenge their respective final defeats.

Samsonova in particular may feel aggrieved from her final defeat last year, having squandered three championship point opportunities.

Wildcards have been awarded to two former Grand Slam champions in Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu, as well as Xiyu Wang and Filipino Alexandra Eala.

Wild-Card
British Superstar @EmmaRaducanu is our first Wild-Card in the electric field making their way to #AbuDhabi this February ????????#MubadalaAbuDhabiOpen #Mubadala #UAETennis #InAbuDhabi #AbuDhabiSC #EmmaRaducanu #WTA pic.twitter.com/IPRR554jeo

— Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open (@MubadalaADOpen) January 8, 2024

Both Osaka and Raducanu are looking to continue their comebacks, from maternity leave and injury respectively, with the former also playing doubles with the aforementioned Jabeur.

READ MORE: Naomi Osaka announced to play first doubles tournament in seven years

How many ranking points are on offer at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open?

With players looking to continue their comebacks and build their way back up the WTA rankings, a maximum 500 points is a very appealing prize for winning the title in Abu Dhabi.

Here is the full breakdown of these points at the tournament:

What is the prize money for the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open?

The total prize money for this year’s tournament in Abu Dhabi stands at $922,573, with the singles winner taking home $142,000 of that.

Here is the full breakdown of that prize money:

*Per team

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Marta Kostyuk has moved into the first Grand Slam quarter-final of her career and has spoken about how Grand Slam draws can be very different, drawing comparisons to Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez’s respective runs to the US Open final in 2021.

The Ukrainian beat Russian qualifier Maria Timofeeva, 6-2 6-1, to achieve her best ever result at the Australian Open or any senior major tournament.

It was the first time that Kostyuk has won a match in straight sets at the tournament this year, having saved a match point against Elise Mertens in the second round.

And the 21-year-old claimed that she deserved the easier match, “The first three matches that I had were extremely difficult. Today, for example, I had it much easier. I was, like: ‘Oh, okay, well deserved, you know’.

“Then we see. I don’t know. I have three more to go. We will see. Maybe I will sit here in one week and be like, Oh, you know, it was not that bad. It was actually easy. We will see.”

Kostyuk then went onto talk about how different Grand Slam draws can be, suggesting that Raducanu had an easier draw to the 2021 US Open final than Fernandez, “It’s every day and every slam and every tournament is so unique and so different. Everything is different. Someone can have a very easy draw, and someone can have extremely difficult.”

The 2017 Australian Open junior champion continued, “I have an easiest example of when Leylah and Emma were playing the final, what draw Leylah had and what draw Emma had. Emma, no offence, but Leylah was really fighting for her life every single match.

“I think there are players who really win this Grand Slam and they’re like: ‘Wow, I don’t think I will ever recover from this physically and emotionally’. There are players who are, like: ‘Oh, it was fine, I might do it again’. I think it’s so unique. I wish I experienced this to give you a proper answer, but I’m working for it. We will see.”

We are taking her HOMEEE??? pic.twitter.com/L6P52UFpAm

— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) September 12, 2021

Kostyuk will now move onto the first Grand Slam quarter-final of her career, where she will play current US Open champion Coco Gauff on Tuesday.

Inside the baseline…

Marta Kostyuk showcased her potential from such a young age, so it is good to see her starting to fulfill some of that at this year’s Australian Open. In terms of her suggesting that Emma Raducanu had an easy draw to the US Open title compared to Leylah Fernandez, you do have to take into account that the Brit also had to play qualifying. It is undeniable that Fernandez had to beat more seeded players, but you can only beat those in front of you.

READ NEXT: How to watch the Australian Open

Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez’s 2021 US Open draw

With Kostyuk making comparisons to the Raducanu and Fernandez’s draws to the US Open final, we have decided to list them for you:

Emma Raducanu

Qualifying Round One – Beat Bibiane Schoofs, 6-1 6-2

Qualifying Round Two – Beat Mariam Bolkvadze, 6-3 7-5

Qualifying Round Three – Beat Mayar Sherif (4th Qualifying seed), 6-1 6-4

First Round – Beat Stefanie Voegele (LL), 6-2 6-3

Second Round – Beat Zhang Shuai, 6-2 6-4

Third Round – Beat Sara Sorribes Tormo, 6-0 6-1

Fourth Round – Beat Shelby Rogers, 6-2 6-1

Quarter-final – Beat Belinda Bencic (11), 6-3 6-4

Semi-final – Beat Maria Sakkari (17), 6-1 6-4

Final – Beat Leylah Fernandez, 6-4 6-3

Leylah Fernandez 

First Round – Beat Ana Konjuh, 7-6(3) 6-2

Second Round – Beat Kaia Kanepi, 7-5 7-5

Third Round – Beat Naomi Osaka (3), 5-7 7-6(2) 6-4

Fourth Round – Beat Angelique Kerber (16), 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2

Quarter-final – Beat Elina Svitolina (5), 6-3 3-6 7-6(5)

Semi-final – Beat Aryna Sabalenka (2), 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4

Final – Beaten by Emma Raducanu (Q), 4-6 3-6

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The post Australian Open star suggests Emma Raducanu had an ‘easy draw’ to US Open title appeared first on Tennishead.

Emma Raducanu has admitted that she cannot commit to playing Great Britain’s Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup tie against France in April, suggesting that her schedule and fitness ‘have to take priority’ this year. 

Raducanu reached the second round of the Australian Open this week, before being beaten by Yafan Wang in a match where she battled sickness.

The 21-year-old was asked after the match about whether she was planning to be part of Great Britain’s squad for their BJK Cup qualifier against France in April.

And the former British No.1 revealed that it would be very surface dependant, “Of course I always love representing my country but, that being said, because of the amount of niggles and the rehab process, I think whatever suits my schedule and my fitness the best is going to have to take priority, especially this year.

“For example, if there’s a change in surface straightaway, too close in succession, I think I’d have to evaluate what I do. The most sensible thing for me is staying healthy. That’s the priority for the year. I can’t say either way. But my intention is good, I want to play.”

?? vs ??

The Lexus GB @BJKCup Team have been drawn away to France in the 2024 Qualifiers ?

— LTA (@the_LTA) November 26, 2023

It seems that Raducanu is unlikely to want to play the tie against France if it is played on clay, but confirmed that she is open to playing lower tour events.

“I really believe that the difference in level between the quote ‘lower-level tournaments’ and these tournaments is not that big,” claimed Raducanu. “Because you gain so many skills, you’re playing in these conditions. The wind here was a prime example.

“My opponent [Wang] played a lot of ITF and got a lot of matches under her belt, but the level really isn’t that different. So yeah, I would play whatever suits my schedule, whatever suits the plan.”

Raducanu is next scheduled to compete in Abu Dhabi, after receiving a wildcard for the WTA 500 tournament that begins on Monday 5th February.

Wild-Card
British Superstar @EmmaRaducanu is our first Wild-Card in the electric field making their way to #AbuDhabi this February ??#MubadalaAbuDhabiOpen #Mubadala #UAETennis #InAbuDhabi #AbuDhabiSC #EmmaRaducanu #WTA pic.twitter.com/IPRR554jeo

— Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open (@MubadalaADOpen) January 8, 2024

Inside the baseline…

It is understandable that Emma Raducanu is being cautious about switching surfaces back-and-forth, after spending eight months on the sidelines last year following three different surgeries. That being said, Raducanu may then have to sacrifice competing in her first Olympics, as you need to represent your country at least twice in the current cycle to be eligible – although there are some loopholes that are potentially available for Grand Slam champions.

READ NEXT: How to watch the Australian Open

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The post Emma Raducanu ‘can’t say’ whether she will represent Great Britain at Billie Jean King Cup appeared first on Tennishead.