Will Emma Raducanu play at the Australian Open 2025? Injury after withdrawal from Auckland at the latest
British number two Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from her first round match against Robin Montgomery at the Auckland Open.
World number 56 Raducanu, who reached the round of 16 in the last two editions of the tournament, said she had “tried my best to be ready” after her exit.
“I love Auckland and the fans here, but unfortunately I’ve got a little aches and pains and won’t be ready in time,” added the 2021 US Open champion.
Australian Open 2025: Will Raducanu play?
Raducanu’s next match will now almost certainly be at the Australian Open, which begins on January 12, with the women’s final to be played on January 25.
Her placement means she will not be seeded at the first Grand Slam of the year, where she will compete for the fourth time in a row.
The 22-year-old was eliminated in the second round in each of the previous three seasons. Her only success beyond the second round at a major since her triumph in New York was a fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon 2024.
Raducanu insulted
Raducanu is now working with fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura and her biggest concern may be the lack of competition preparation, having played just three matches since straining her foot ligaments in September.
All three of those competitions ended in victories for Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup final, and Raducanu also suffered a first-round loss at the 2024 US Open this month to current world No. 81 Sofia Kenin.
Raducanu returned to the tour last January after an eight-month break, including operations on both wrists and left ankle.
She withdrew from the Miami Open in March because of lower back pain, saying she “didn’t want to risk anything happening.”
Auckland Open: Burrage through
World number 24 Katie Boulter is the British number one, while there is a British presence at the Auckland Open in the form of Jodie Burrage.
The British number seven and world number 179 lost in qualifying but were given a place in the peloton after Belgian Elise Mertens was injured.
Burrage took advantage with a 6-3 6-3 victory over wildcard New Zealander Vivian Yang, adding that her appearance was a last-minute surprise on a “crazy day”.
