Emma Raducanu sports Tottenham Hotspur jersey as she gears up for Stuttgart bow, says she's ready for the challenge

The Stuttgart Open begins on 18 April with top names in the WTA like Iga Swiatek and Emma Raducanu all set to battle it out for the title.

Emma Raducanu will be making her first appearance in a WTA claycourt event in her first full season on the WTA tour. The British teenager last played at the 2022 Miami Open where she lost to Katerina Siniakova in the round-of-64. The Brit was spotted wearing a Tottenham Hotspur jersey during practice sessions in Stuttgart.

The 2021 US Open champion is seeded eighth and will take on Australian qualifier Storm Sanders in her first-round encounter. This will be their first meeting on the WTA tour.

The Romanian-born player stated that she is looking forward to playing in Stuttgart, especially because of the absence of clay courts in Britain.

"It would be very motivating to add to my wins against the best players in the world, especially on clay where I have little experience as there aren’t really any clay courts in the UK. This clay season with the French Open as the highlight will be an interesting challenge, but one I am looking forward to," Raducanu said.

Other big names who will be vying for top honors in Stuttgart are Iga Swiatek, defending champion Paula Badosa, Maria Sakkari, Aryna Sabalenka, Anett Kontaveit, and Ons Jabeur.

Raducanu, a brand ambassador for Porsche, said she was thrilled to be surrounded by the cars she loved.

"The venue is great. I love to be here. I came here yesterday and its amazing being surrounded by all the Porsche's," she added. "It's always great to walk past and I had my first hits this morning, so looking forward to the week ahead."

Mixed results, blisters on clay ahead of Stuttgart Open for Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu, who beat Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic in the Billie Jean King Cup in Prague, will be hoping injuries do not hamper her in Stuttgart.

Following the euphoria of her maiden victory on clay, a blister stopped her from performing at her best during her loss to Markéta Vondroušová in her second singles match.

A blister on her racquet hand at the Australian Open played spoilsport after Raducanu got off to an encouraging start in Melbourne with a win against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the first round.

A second-round loss to Danka Kovinic ended her Australian Open hopes following which she withdrew from the Monterrey Open due to a leg injury.

The 19-year-old is also slated to play at the Mutua Madrid Open and the Italian Open before getting to Roland-Garros.

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