Emma Raducanu’s first 2022 tournament confirmed as Rafael Nadal also sets comeback date

Rafael Nadal announces end to 2021 season through injury

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Emma Raducanu and Rafael Nadal have both confirmed that they will be starting their respective seasons at the WTA and ATP events in Melbourne. The 19-year-old Brit will be starting her first-ever full year on the pro tour after shooting up the rankings with her unprecedented US Open win in September. Meanwhile, the 20-time Grand Slam champion is set to make his comeback after he was forced to end his 2021 season early with a foot injury.

Raducanu is currently preparing for her first full year on the WTA Tour, having reached a career-high of world No 19 off the back of her incredible success at Grand Slams.

After announcing herself in her home nation with a round of 16 showing on her Wimbledon debut as a wildcard ranked down at world No 338, she became a household name almost overnight when she won the US Open – becoming the first qualifier in history to do so.

The win propelled her into the world’s top 25 and she now sits at a career-high No 19, giving her direct entry into the biggest tournaments in the WTA calendar, and has now selected the first event she will play in her maiden full year on the pro tour.

The Bromley local will be competing in the Melbourne Summer Set – one of the two WTA 250 events taking place in Melbourne Park from January 3.

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She joins the likes of defending Aussie Open champion Naomi Osaka, who will be playing her first tournament since losing to Leylah Annie Fernandez in the US Open third round, and her “idol”, former world No 1 and two-time Major winner Simona Halep.

With nine of the world’s current top ten competing in the stacked WTA 500 event in Adelaide, playing in Melbourne is a good tactic for the US Open champion as it allows her to get used to the Australian Open venue and conditions, and she will likely be able to go deeper in the draw with fewer top players.

Meanwhile, Nadal will also be joining Raducanu in Melbourne as he returns to tennis for the start of the season at the ATP 250 event taking place in the same week.

The Spaniard has not played since August’s Washington ATP 500, as he later flew home to consult with his personal doctor and announced the decision to end his 2021 season early, ahead of the US Open.

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He suffered a shock defeat to Novak Djokovic in the French Open semi-final and later revealed he has aggravated a left foot injury, withdrawing from Wimbledon and the Olympics, and playing just two matches in Washington before shutting down his season.

Before making his return to the tour, the world No 6 will be playing next week’s Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition in Abu Dhabi, but has now confirmed his official return to the tour in Melbourne.

It comes after Nadal was noticeably missing from Spain’s ATP Cup team when the draw was revealed on Tuesday.

He will be the top seed in Melbourne, with the likes of Reilly Opelka, Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin also in the draw.

The ATP Cup will be taking place in Sydney from January 1, with 16 countries competing in group stages for a place in the semi-finals and final to compete for the title for their country.

Nadal led Spain to the final in the inaugural edition of the event back in 2020, with the country losing 2-1 to Novak Djokovic’s Serbia.

Djokovic is once again in the field to compete for Serbia, and has put himself on the entry list for the Australian Open, but remains in doubt to compete.

The world No 1 has been against vaccine mandates as he refuses to disclose his vaccination status, but the tournament requires all players to be fully vaccinated in order to be allowed into the country to compete.

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