Emma Raducanu signs up for pre-Australian Open exhibition event

January 6, 2024

Australian Open, British Tennis Players, Emma Raducanu, Tennis News, WTA Tennis Players

Emma Raducanu signs up for pre-Australian Open exhibition event

Emma Raducanu has signed up for the Kooyong Classic exhibition event, with the 21-year-old potentially setting up a match with teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva.

Raducanu returned to the WTA Tour this week, winning her first match in eight months against Elena Gabriela Ruse in Auckland, before losing a three set battle to former No.3 Elina Svitolina.

The Brit has also received the positive news that she will not need to play Australian Open qualifying, with there being enough withdrawals for Raducanu to gain direct entry to the main draw.

As a result, Raducanu has next week spare in her calendar and has elected to sign up for the Kooyong Classic exhibition event.

Raducanu is the second woman to be announced for the event, joining 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva, with it looking likely that a first-time meeting between the pair is set to happen.

RADUCANU READY FOR KOOYONG CLASSIC!
The 2021 US Open Champion will be in action next week.
The 2024 Kooyong Classic will be held on Jan 10-12 2024.
Get your tickets on ticketek now! pic.twitter.com/iro0rZkerb
— Kooyong Classic (@Kooyong_Classic) January 5, 2024

There are a currently a total of 12 names in the men’s field, including Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.

It is unclear as to whether anymore names will be added to this list, with the Kooyong Classic taking place next week between Wednesday 10th January-Friday 12th January.

Inside the baseline…

This appears to be a very sensible decision made by Emma Raducanu, who was impressive in Auckland, but only managed to get two matches in following a very lengthy layoff.. After receiving the news that she would no longer need to play Australian Open qualifying, playing a fun exhibition tournament enables Raducanu to get match practice in while also taking away some of the pressure. Fans are certainly going to be drawn to the idea of the 2021 US Open champion playing the very talented teenager, Mirra Andreeva, that’s for sure!

Emma Raducanu and the full Kooyong Classic Lineup

Raducanu is looking to get some more match practice in ahead of her Grand Slam return, following eight months away from the WTA Tour after two wrist surgeries and a left ankle procedure.

Here is the current full list of names that will be alongside her in Kooyong:

Men’s event