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Emma Raducanu given wild card for Miami Open alongside Caroline Wozniacki, Venus Williams and Kei Nishikori
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Published 01/03/2024 at 08:59 GMT
Britain's Emma Raducanu will feature at the forthcoming Miami Open after the tournament granted her a wild card. It's been a challenging start to 2024 for the 21-year-old, who hasn't yet managed to string together more than two wins. Raducanu will be joined at the Miami Open by a number of other high-profile wild cards, including Caroline Wozniacki.
Djokovic treats students to practise session ahead of Indian Wells
Video credit: SNTV
Emma Raducanu has been handed a wild card for the upcoming Miami Open as she eyes an opportunity to inject fresh momentum into her season during the upcoming 'Sunshine Swing'.
Raducanu has a losing 3-4 win-loss record so far this season as she continues her comeback from an enforced injury absence that saw her 2023 campaign end in April.
That record includes a first-round loss in her most recent appearance on the WTA Tour in Doha, where she was bagelled as part of a straight-sets loss to Anhelina Kalinina.
It is not yet known whether she will feature at Indian Wells, the Californian first leg of the 'Sunshine Double', however the Briton is reported to have flown into Los Angeles this week.
Raducanu's current protected ranking of 103 is outside the 96 automatic qualifying spots for the event in 'Tennis Paradise'.
Announcing Raducanu's participation, Miami's tournament website said: "Raducanu, whose fairytale run at the 2021 US Open saw her become the first champion in the Open Era to come through qualifying and claim victory without losing a single set, is eagerly anticipated to make her return after missing much of the 2023 season due to injury.
"Her promising start to the current season follows an eight-month break."
Speaking after her defeat in Qatar, Raducanu admitted she was still trying to find the right approach to life on tour.
“It's hard for me to get used to the tour schedule," she said.
“It's one tournament then another straight away. I need to schedule my tournaments a bit better and try to get more matches under my belt."
Also among the first wild cards to be announced by Miami are Caroline Wozniacki, Venus Williams and Kei Nishikori.
Wozniacki, still finding her feet back on tour after coming out of her maternity-led retirement, has won just once in the three tournaments she has entered this year, her latest outing being in San Diego earlier this week where she lost to Anna Blinkova.
Nishikori spent almost two years off the ATP Tour recovering from injury, and hasn't played since July last year.
The evergreen Williams, 43, has also been managing physical concerns, and will make her first appearance on a competitive court since the 2023 US Open.
The Miami Open runs between March 20-31, with Indian Wells preceding it between March 6-17.
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