Emma Raducanu's French Open participation in doubt after qualifying withdrawal - will she play Grand Slam? - Eurosport

Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from French Open qualifying, raising uncertainty over whether she will play the Grand Slam.

After missing out on a wild card, the former US Open champion was entered into the draw for qualifying, which starts this week, live on discovery+.

Her only route into the Grand Slam now is to hope for several late withdrawals, or she may opt to skip the French Open and focus on preparing for the grass season.

The 21-year-old has not given any reason for her withdrawal from qualifying, and no indication has been made that it is linked to injury.

Will Raducanu play the French Open?

Raducanu is currently three places away from getting a main-draw spot at the French Open.

The 21-year-old is behind Sara Errani and Arina Rodionova in the list of alternates, who are the players that will be moved up to the main draw if there are withdrawals.

Raducanu may have withdrawn from qualifying in the hope that three players will pull out of the main draw and she will get an automatic entry spot.

However, she would need those players to pull out of the main draw before the start of qualifying on Monday, May 20.

Or Raducanu may have decided to skip the clay Grand Slam and focus her attentions on preparing for the grass season.

Raducanu has not played competitively on grass since the summer of 2022, but if she misses the French Open could get extra time on the surface in the build up to Wimbledon.

There is the Surbiton Trophy taking place in the second week of the French Open, before WTA 250 events in Nottingham (June 10) and Birmingham (June 17).

Wimbledon starts on July 1.

The Brit has not played since losing in the first round of the Madrid Open to Maria Lourdes Carle last month.

After that defeat, in which she lost in straight sets, Raducanu said she was “mentally and emotionally exhausted.”

The comments drew disappointment from her Billie Jean King Cup captain Anne Keothavong, who said: “We talk a lot about head, heart and legs, and if your head and your heart aren’t in it, your legs don’t stand a chance.

“It was really disappointing to see. She said she was tired, but do you talk yourself into more tiredness?”

Will Raducanu refresh for grass season?

Raducanu made a promising start to her clay season with four straight wins across the Billie Jean King Cup and Stuttgart Open.

Raducanu didn’t give an indication of her scheduling plans after the loss but did say she was “exhausted” after her busy start to the clay season.

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“I think from the performance today it was very clear that mentally and emotionally I was exhausted,” she said afterwards.

“I was trying to push through. I was pushing through Stuttgart and was just unable to push through today. So yeah, it’s a shame that I was feeling so good on the court and today happened, but I guess this sport is just pretty brutal.”

When is French Open qualifying?

Qualifying for the French Open starts on Monday, May 20 and finishes on Friday, May 24.

Coverage on discovery+ starts at 9am each day.

The main draw action then starts on Sunday, May 26, with the French Open one of two Grand Slams, along with the Australian Open, that is run over 15 days instead of 14 this year.