Emma Raducanu is yet to compete on clay this year, but she will have the chance to continue her climb up the rankings when she returns to action.
The 22-year-old has not played since her impressive run to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open last month, where she earned four straight wins at a WTA event for the first time since her shock 2021 US Open triumph.
Raducanu is up to 47th in the world after her exploits in Miami, having started the WTA 1000 event ranked 60th.
After Miami, Raducanu opted to delay the start of her clay-court campaign as she withdrew from Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifying ties in the Netherlands and the WTA 250 tournament in Rouen.
The Brit has not confirmed her first event of the season on clay, but it is likely to be the Madrid Open, a WTA 1000 which will run from April 22 to May 4.
Raducanu’s 2024 clay-court results
Raducanu played only six matches on clay in 2024, amassing a 4-2 record.
In April last year, Raducanu defeated both Diane Parry and Caroline Garcia on clay in Great Britain’s BJK Cup win against France in Le Portel.
The former world No 10 next competed at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, a WTA 500 tournament in Stuttgart staged on indoor clay.
She overcame Angelique Kerber and Linda Noskova to reach the quarter-finals, where she was beaten by Iga Swiatek.
Raducanu then played her second clay-court WTA Tour event of 2024 at the Madrid Open, and she lost to Maria Lourdes Carle in the opening round.
The 2021 US Open winner did not play any clay tournaments after Madrid as she chose to take a break and return for the grass season.
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The Brit is, therefore, defending just 118 points during this year’s clay season — 108 from her Stuttgart quarter-final and 10 from her first round Madrid exit.
The world No 47 will lose the 108 points from Stuttgart when the WTA Rankings update following the conclusion of the 2025 edition of the tournament, which is currently ongoing.
Raducanu will, though, have a good opportunity to gain points if she plays the WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, and the French Open — having skipped the latter two events last year.
The 22-year-old may also consider adding the WTA 500 in Strasbourg or the WTA 250 in Rabat — both of which are held in the week before Roland Garros — to her schedule.
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The post Why Emma Raducanu could make a big rankings jump during the clay season appeared first on Tennis365.
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