Emma Raducanu named in Australian Open qualifying field ahead of January comeback

Raducanu will have to come through qualifying ahead of her return to the Australian Open

Emma Raducanu’s place in Australian Open qualifying has been confirmed ahead of her return to competition in 2024.

The former US Open champion struggled with injuries last season and her ranking has plummeted to World No 299 after undergoing surgeries on both wrists and her ankle in May.

The 21-year-old can use a protected ranking ahead of her comeback, but is currently five places outside the main draw cut-off. Raducanu has said she will play in the Auckland Open in New Zealand at the start of the year.

Raducanu could yet gain direct entry into the main draw of the first grand slam of the year but she would need other players to pull out. The Briton famously became the first player in the Open era to win a grand slam from qualifying when she triumphed in New York in 2021.

Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem also headlines the qualifying field for the Australian Open after the 30-year-old Austrian struggled with fitness problems last season, though he is only one place outside the cut-off for the main draw.

The qualifying tournament for the Australian Open will begin on January 8 while the main draw is from January 14-28. Raducanu will travel to New Zealand for the WTA event in Auckland ahead of the start of the new season on January 1.