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Emma Raducanu is all set to make her second appearance at the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, as she began practicing on the red dirt on Wednesday, April 12.
The 46th edition of the WTA 500 event will be played from April 17 to 23 on indoor clay courts at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany.
Raducanu took the tennis world by storm when she beat Leylah Fernandez to win the 2021 US Open as a qualifier. However, a string of injuries and prolonged poor form have kept her from adding to her singles title tally since. Last year, she was declared the new brand ambassador for automobile manufacturer Porsche.
The 20-year-old was welcomed by tournament organizers in Stuttgart on Wednesday as they shared a photograph and a video of the British player practicing her groundstrokes on Instagram stories.
"Welcome back, Emma Raducanu," Porsche Tennis wrote.
In last year's edition, the World No. 68 defeated Australia's Storm Hunter and Tamara Korpatsch in her first two matches before losing to Poland's Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals. Speaking to Porsche Newsroom recently, Raducanu expressed her excitement at returning to the tournament, whose winner will take home a Porsche Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo.
"I had a great experience last year and played well, it’s a fun tournament and very well-run so I’m really looking forward to returning to Stuttgart. I think it’s a very nice arena for tennis and provides a great atmosphere. Of course, having the cars behind the court and also being able to rent from a selection of Porsches throughout the week is pretty cool," she said.
Emma Raducanu looks forward to challenging top players at the Stuttgart Open 2023
Emma Raducanu has had a forgettable season so far, with a win-loss record of 5-4. Apart from her, the 2023 Stuttgart Open will be graced by the defending champion and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, Caroline Garcia, Ons Jabeur, Coco Gauff, Daria Kasatkina, and Maria Sakkari.
The Brit remarked that she wanted to test herself against the world's best players at the WTA 500 event.
"The tournament always attracts the world’s top players. The strong field means there’s some great tennis to be seen and good competition," Emma Raducanu said. "Personally, I like to test myself and compete with the best players in the world, so it’s a challenge I enjoy."
Raducanu chose the Stuttgart Open over Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against France, to be played on April 14 and 15 in Coventry, Great Britain. Former player Anne Keothavong will captain the side, which includes Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Heather Watson, Alicia Barnett, and Olivia Nicholls.
