Emma Raducanu should be heading into 2026 brimming with confidence, after enjoying arguably her best year on tour to date.
That might seem ludicrous to say, given she won the US Open in 2021, but seldom before has she enjoyed such a period of consistency across both her form and fitness.
The latter has been the biggest hurdle for the British number one to overcome in recent years, with surgeries to both wrists and her ankle brutally scuppering her chances of competing regularly.
Fortunately, those darker days do seem behind Emma Raducanu, who is hoping to stride into a brighter future laden with silverware alongside Francisco Roig.
Ideally for them, they have already seemingly crafted the ideal plan to start their 2026 campaign in perfect fashion.
Emma Raducanu could get rankings boost before the Australian Open
Raducanu will start her year at the United Cup, making her debut at an event only created in 2022.
It offers a unique atmosphere for players to compete in a mixed-gender format, always held in the run-up to the Australian Open.
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And, crucially for Raducanu, it is the first mixed-gender team event to offer both ATP rankings and WTA rankings points to its players, with the winners set to claim 500 points.
She did not play in an event ahead of last year’s Australian Open, meaning any success she has at the United Cup will be free additional points to boost her rankings.
The United Cup is the perfect pre-Australian Open tournament for Emma Raducanu
Whilst the United Cup is a serious event, the doubles element will offer a relaxed but competitive environment in which Raducanu to hopefully practice all she has been learning in the off-season.
After all, this marks her first under the guidance of Francisco Roig, who joined as her new coach in August.
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The Spaniard has enjoyed a glittering career, mainly helping Rafael Nadal break record after record on his way to greatness.
Whilst she will not be expecting that kind of success, the insight he gained from his close proximity to an ultimate champion can only help the youngster’s development.
Raducanu shared what Roig is bringing to her game earlier this month, highlighting the early promise this relationship could hold.
Whilst Brisbane or Auckland’s WTA tournaments would have been perfectly acceptable, the United Cup is unique, and could therefore offer the perfect atmosphere to help her hone her new techniques without the pressure of pushing for a title of any significance.
