Emma Raducanu not guaranteed entry to French Open main draw

16 April 2024, 16:58 | Updated: 16 April 2024, 20:15

Emma Raducanu is not guaranteed automatic entry into the French Open main draw despite using her protected ranking of 103.

The 21-year-old is currently fifth on the alternates list for Roland-Garros and therefore requires five players to withdraw before the start of the second Grand Slam of the year, otherwise she will need to be awarded a wild card spot or have to go through qualifying.

Raducanu helped send Great Britain into the Billie Jean King Cup Finals with a 3-1 victory over France at the weekend, earning an impressive three-set victory over Caroline Garcia before defeating Diane Parry in a pulsating contest that lasted two hours and 52 minutes.

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The former US Open champion has struggled for form and fitness since her fairytale triumph as a teenager in 2021 and has not since progressed past the second round of a Grand Slam.

She also underwent surgery on both wrists and one of her ankles last May, missing both the French Open and Wimbledon.

Raducanu is currently ranked 303rd in the world, but is helped by her protected ranking, a system where players on the tour who have been out of action long-term can re-enter events at the ranking they found themselves when they last received money at an event.

French Open qualifying begins on May 20, with the tournament proper getting under way on May 26.

Andy Murray is on the entry list for the men's singles, despite currently being out with an ankle injury.

His team have confirmed the 36-year-old will not have surgery on the injury he suffered as the Miami Open in March, but there remains no date yet for his return to competition.

The three-time Grand Slam champion is now out of a walking boot and Sky Sports News understands his rehab is going well.

Murray has only played at Roland-Garros once since career-saving hip surgery in 2019.

Raducanu: I'm playing the best tennis of my life

Raducanu feels she is playing the "best tennis of her life" after sending Great Britain into the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Seville later this year.

"Tennis-wise I have improved because I feel like I am playing the best tennis of my career and my life," Raducanu told BBC Sport.

"And emotionally, mentally, for me to come through the moments that I did the last few days, it took a lot of strong character, especially when the entire stadium is pretty much against you. I can just take a lot of positivity and I really enjoyed this week.

"To come through the moments that I did the last two days it took a strong character when the whole stadium is pretty much against you."

Raducanu trailed Garcia by a set and a break before completing a stunning 3-6 6-3 6-2 comeback victory, following that up with another epic 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-1) win over Parry to clinch the team's finals spot.

"To be able to put two matches like that back-to-back, three sets on clay against really tough opponents, it's just testament to the work we've been doing," she said in an on-court interview.

"I knew it would pay off eventually, so I'm very pleased this weekend it was able to show."

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