Emma Raducanu ‘door opened’ by tournament wanting Brit to headline event

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Emma Raducanu has been invited to headline next year’s ASB Classic in New Zealand if she chooses to make her long-awaited injury comeback at the event. The young Brit has been sidelined for most of 2023 after undergoing surgery to her hands and ankles but is expected to return at some point in the new year.

Raducanu injured her ankle at the most recent edition of the ASB Classic back in January, which contributed to her missing every single Grand Slam this year apart from the Australian Open. Tournament director Nicolas Lamperin has since opened the door to Raducanu returning to action at the same tournament, although there is no precise timeframe on her comeback as of yet.

“There have been some [conversations] but it’s too early to say because we still don’t have a set return date,” said Lamperin in an interview with Stuff.

“The door is open if she wants to come, but we have had to go after other players with whom we have more certainty. It’s not off the table but we’d need more time because we still don’t know when she’s coming back.”

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Raducanu is yet to confirm exactly when she is planning to appear at her next tournament, with the 20-year-old having returned to training over the last few months. She was recently spotted on the practice courts near her mother’s hometown in China as she continues to prepare her body for a return to top-level action.

She recently insisted that she will not be playing in any tournaments before the end of this year despite stepping up her preparations, telling the BBC: “Next season I’ll be back. This season all the slams were finished so it was difficult to watch them go by but I was trying to stay in my lane as much as possible and keep focused on my recovery.

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Raducanu has endured a tough time of things since winning the US Open two years ago, with persistent injury problems and a general lack of form having put the brakes on her development. As a result, she has failed to go beyond the second round of any Grand Slam since becoming the first British woman in 44 years to clinch a major singles title.

She has managed to play just 10 matches in 2023 but remains hopeful of returning to better form and fulfilling her Wimbledon ambitions, either next year or at some point further down the line. She added: “Wimbledon is the dream and always has been growing up. It’s still the ultimate dream to win Wimbledon.”

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