Emma Raducanu will have a few important decisions to make before the year draws to a close with her summer campaign not going entirely to plan. The 21-year-old reached the quarter-finals of the Citi Open earlier this month but has not played since then after being denied two wildcards.
The former US Open champion was not handed a wildcard for either the Canadian Open or Cincinnati Open and was said to have rejected the chance to take part in qualifying for the latter. It leaves her in a difficult position ahead of her return to Flushing Meadows in less than two weeks.
If Raducanu does not play before starting her US Open campaign, it will have been nearly a month since her run to the last eight at the Citi Open. There is still a chance she could take part in a warm-up tournament, though, with two WTA events taking place next week.
Raducanu might be hoping for a wildcard at the Monterrey Open, while the Tennis in the Land event in Cleveland could give her another chance to gain some match sharpness. If she is offered a place at either tournament, she will need to decide whether to accept or turn it down to avoid the risk of injury.
It will also be interesting to see if Raducanu travels to China after the US Open, with other events taking place across the Asian continent. The biggest tournaments she could feature in will be the Wuhan Open and the Beijing Open, which are set to be played in late September and early October.
Raducanu’s ranking position of 71 suggests that it will be difficult for her to get into the main draw at either tournament. However, there is every chance she will be offered a wildcard given her Chinese heritage and the level of support she enjoys from tennis fans in the country.
In November, the Billie Jean King Cup will return to the schedule with Raducanu likely to be eyed for a spot in the British squad. Anne Keothavong will be hoping to call on her services but the final decision will, of course, lie with Raducanu herself after a long and tiring season.
It remains to be seen if she will decide to miss the Billie Jean King Cup in order to rest and recuperate, given the injuries she has been forced to deal with over the last few years. However, with the event being on her favoured hard courts, it would not be a surprise if she decides to play.
