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Emma Raducanu will head to Auckland to kick off the 2025 season at the ASB Classic. The WTA 250 tournament will be held from December 30, 2024 to January 5, 2025. This will mark her third straight appearance at the venue.
Raducanu advanced to the second round on her debut in 2023, and an injury forced her to retire after winning the second set against Viktoria Hruncakova. She earned a hard-fought three-set win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse to begin her 2024 campaign.
The Brit faced former top-10 player Elina Svitolina in the second round, and went down to her in three sets. She will hope that third time's the charm, and that she's finally able to make a deep run at the ASB Classic. The 22-year-old is projected to be the sixth seed for the 2025 edition. However, any last-minute entries by higher-ranked players could push her out of the seeding range.
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If Raducanu maintains her schedule from the last two seasons, then she will head to Melbourne for the Australian Open after the ASB Classic. She will aim for a better showing at the season's first Major after a series of early exits over the years.
Emma Raducanu aiming to advance beyond the second round of the Australian Open for the first time
Emma Raducanu made her Australian Open debut in 2022, and beat fellow US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the first round. She was ousted by Danka Kovinic in the second round, and attributed the loss to a blister on her hand.
Raducanu's journey in Melbourne came to an end in the second round yet again in 2023, and this time Coco Gauff was responsible for her exit. She was favored to make it past the second round this year but faltered at this stage once again.
The 22-year-old beat Shelby Rogers in her opener, and was up against World No. 296 Wang Yafan. While it was her second tournament since her return to the tour from an injury hiatus, given the disparity in their rankings, the young Brit was expected to trounce her opponent.
However, Raducanu was shown the door by Wang after losing a three-set tussle. Having finished the 2024 season by winning all three of her Billie Jean King Cup singles ties and taking Britain all the way to the semifinals, she will be vying to step up her game in the southern hemisphere as well in the coming season.
