Raducanu handed Indian Wells wildcard as Brit looks to bounce back

Emma Raducanu receives MBE from King Charles in 2022

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Emma Raducanu is hoping to bounce back from a poor recent run of form after being handed a wildcard for the Indian Wells Masters. Raducanu burst onto the scene a year-and-a-half ago after shocking the tennis world to becoming a US Open champion aged just 18.

Following her historic run at Flushing Meadows the youngster was tipped for greatness, however the British star has failed to live up to the reputation she forged following her Grand Slam win. Raducanu has failed to win on the WTA Tour since her US Open victory in September 2021.

A mix of disappointing results and bad luck with injuries has seen Raducanu drift to 80th in the world rankings, a world away from being in the top 10 last summer. Her latest disappointment came late last month, after she was eliminated from the Australian Open in the second round.

The 20-year-old lost to fellow young star Coco Gauff in straight sets, to once again send her back to the drawing board. Despite her poor run of form and world ranking slump, Raducanu is set to feature in one of the Tour’s biggest events next month.

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This comes after the Indian Wells Masters confirmed she had been handed a precious wildcard to compete. The outing in California will prove to be the perfect stage to kickstart her 2023, with Raducanu part of a stellar field.

Her efforts on the Indian Wells court in 2022 saw her reach the round of 32 stage, before being knocked out by Croatia’s Petra Martić. Her immediate rise to fame at such a young age was no doubt tough to adapt to, making her full debut season on Tour a tough one.

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Former world No. 1 John McEnroe, though, believes the Brit is set for a good year in 2023. He told Tennis365: “We just all want to see her compete and enjoy the challenge in front of her and if she does that, I’m sure she can have a great year. That’s what we all want to see.

“Ultimately, tennis is a competition and you have to find a way to deal with that. I wish Emma all the best. Let’s put this on the record. You don’t win a Grand Slam by luck. She is a great player and can come back and challenge again.”

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