'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu has modest expectations for the season after returning from a long injury hiatus.
Since creating history at the 2021 US Open - where the then 18-year-old became the first qualifier (male or female) to win a Major - the Briton's career has been on a downward trajectory.
In her first full season as a top-10 player, Raducanu became only the third Flushing Meadows defending champion in the Open Era to lose in the first round. She reached only one semifinal all season.
Raducanu had an injury-plagued 2023, getting afflicted by numerous issues, as she plummetted outside the top 100. She returned from injury at Auckland this year, where she reached the second round, before withdrawing from the Australian Open due to soreness.
Ahead of her return to the Abu Dhabi Open as a wildcard, the Briton said that she will look to improve her level and win a title in any grade:
“For me, success would be seeing my level improving in practice first and then in matches. I know that when my level will be there, putting it into a match will take some time to apply.
"But I know that seeing the level increase, that results will follow. Also, I would love to win a title of any grade.”
About the two years since her fairytale US Open win, Emma Raducanu added:
“In a way, it’s frustrating that the last couple of years haven’t been how I’ve wanted, but I think we take a lesson from everything, and now is the time to start that work, and I’m really enjoying it.”
The World No. 295 will open her Abu Dhabi campaign against Marie Bouzkova on Monday.
A look back at Emma Raducanu's 2021 US Open triumph
Emma Raducanu had a campaign for the history books at the 2021 US Open. Entering the event as a qualifier, the then teenager navigated three rounds of qualifying without dropping a set to qualify for her first main-draw appearance in New York.
Not many expected the then World No. 150 to make a splash, but Raducanu had other ideas. She saw off Stefanie Vogele, Zhang Shuai, Sara Sorribes Tormo, Shelby Rogers, Belinda Bencic all in straight sets. By doing so, Raducanu became just the fifth qualifier in the Open Era to reach a Major semifinal.
The Briton then beat Maria Sakkari to reach the final, in the process becoming the new British No. 1. In the first all-teenage final in 22 years, Raducanu beat Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 to script history.
In a little over a fortnight, she won 10 matches - all in straight sets - to accomplish what no other player had achieved before, catapulting her to overnight superstardom.
