BRISBANE: British professional tennis player Emma Raducanu, a previous US Open champion, secured her spot in the Australian Open’s main draw following American player Lauren Davis’ withdrawal due to a shoulder injury, as confirmed by organizers on Wednesday.
Raducanu, who triumphed over Elena-Gabriela Ruse at the Auckland Classic after her comeback from wrist and ankle surgeries, had dropped to 301st in the world. Her protected ranking didn’t secure direct entry to the Melbourne Park Grand Slam. Despite missing out on a wildcard, the 21-year-old Briton was poised to follow a path similar to her 2021 Flushing Meadows journey, where she made history as the first player in the Open Era to claim a major title from the qualifying rounds.
Nonetheless, Davis’s departure, coupled with withdrawals from Karolina Muchova, Petra Kvitova, Irina-Camelia Begu, and Caty McNally, created an opportunity for Raducanu in the main draw of the Jan. 14-28 major event.
