‘Golden hour!’ Emma Raducanu sets sights on her maiden WTA title as she returns to action in Guadalajara

‘Golden hour!’ Emma Raducanu sets sights on her maiden WTA title as she returns to action in Guadalajara

Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu is set to make a return to action at the Abierto Akron Zapopan in Guadalajara, Mexico. She will feature as the top seed of the WTA 250 event which begins on February 26th.

Raducanu took to Twitter to announce her arrival in Guadalajara. She was already seen on practice courts and is gearing up to play her first match since the Australian Open.

The reigning US Open champion hasn’t played a match since her second-round exit at the Australian Open. After her fairytale win at the US Open last year, the Brit has been struggling with her form and faced early exits in all the tournaments she competed in, since then. Her start to the 2022 season hasn’t been note-worthy either. She crashed out in the opening round of the WTA Sydney International, before being knocked out in the second round at the Australian Open.

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Emma Raducanu’s path to her maiden WTA title

Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu

Raducanu already has a Grand Slam title to her name, but the Brit teenager is yet to win a WTA title. With an eye on a fresh start following her disappointing Australian Open campaign and fewer top players in the fray, Raducanu will be keen to turn her fortunes around with a title win Guadalajara.

She will enter the tournament as the top seed and has relatively easier opponents in her opening round matches, with Daria Saville in the first round and Lin Zhu in the next round. However, Raducanu needs to be wary of her opponents as she was knocked out in the Australian Open to lowly-ranked Danka Kovinic. In the quarter-finals, a potential rematch of her first round of the Australian Open against Sloane Stephens awaits her. Camila Osorio is her potential semi-final opponent and she will then face Madison Keys or defending champion Sara Sorribes Tormo in the summit clash.

Path to the title:

  • R1- Daria Saville
  • R2- Lin Zhu
  • Quarter-finals – Sloane Stephens
  • Semi-finals- Camila Osorio
  • Final- Madison Keys
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