Emma Raducanu, the 21-year-old British tennis player, has withdrawn from the French Open qualifying tournament set to begin on Monday. Raducanu, ranked 221st in the world, was initially listed for the qualifying rounds but has now been removed without any explanation provided for her withdrawal.
Due to her ranking, Raducanu would have needed three players to pull out from the main draw in order to secure a place at Roland Garros. Despite having a protected ranking of 103rd due to previous surgeries on her wrist and ankle, it was not high enough to grant her an automatic spot in the main draw.
Raducanu’s absence from the French Open qualifying comes after her recent first-round loss at the Madrid Open, where she was defeated by Maria Lourdes Carle in straight sets. Additionally, Raducanu missed out on a wild card for the tournament, with organizers reportedly favoring French players for the spots.
In a recent interview with The Times, Raducanu addressed criticism she has faced regarding her off-court commitments and also spoke out about the gender pay gap in tennis, highlighting the disparities in prize money between male and female players.
As qualifying for the French Open kicks off on Monday, tennis fans can catch all the action from the clay-court season, including tournaments like the Geneva Open, Lyon Open, Internationaux de Strasbourg, and Morocco Open, live on Sky Sports.