Emma Raducanu is set to make her comeback at the Strasbourg Open after a two-month break from the tour.
The Brit was forced to miss several events, including Miami, Linz, Madrid, and Rome due to a viral illness that had been affecting her since February. Her last appearance came at Indian Wells over two months ago.
Now looking to build up some clay-court time before Roland Garros, Raducanu is easing back into competition by choosing the Strasbourg Open for her return.
She'll also have a familiar face in her corner, with Andrew Richardson – the coach who guided her to the US Open title in 2021 – back on her team. And she might run into a Grand Slam champion as early as the second round in Strasbourg.
Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images
Raducanu has drawn French wildcard Diane Parry in the first round, a familiar opponent from their previous clash on indoor clay during the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers two years ago, where the Briton came out on top.
Should she advance past Parry again, Raducanu would then face either Cristina Bucsa or 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys. It would be her first meeting with Keys, while she holds a 2-1 record against Bucsa from their past encounters.
The other side of Raducanu's draw features several notable names, including young American talent Iva Jovic and second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
This will be Raducanu's second appearance at the Strasbourg Open, having also played last year after entering as a wildcard.
She started with a win over the sixth seed and former French Open semi-finalist Daria Kasatkina but was knocked out in the second round by Danielle Collins, who came from behind to win in three sets.
That means she has just 60 ranking points to defend at this year's WTA 500 event.
Raducanu won't be seeded for Roland Garros either way. After dropping outside the top 32 following the Italian Open, she'll miss out on seeding for the French Open.
Still, Strasbourg could give her some valuable match play and confidence ahead of Paris. The main draw kicks off on Sunday, May 17th.
Read more:
