Emma Raducanu plans to play "low quality" tournament to regain her best form

Emma Raducanu is prepared to play at a lower level in order to rediscover her best form after dropping to 296th in the WTA rankings. The former world number 10's ranking plummeted after a lengthy injury layoff in 2023, and after a second-round straight set's defeat to Wang Yafen after battling illness, she remains outside the top 300 players in the world. Although she has a protected ranking of 103 to use for a certain number of entries, Raducanu's current ranking is too low for direct entry into WTA events. The Brit was fortunate to avoid qualifying and earn an automatic spot at the Australian Open due to withdrawals, but with her future at the biggest tournaments on the calendar hanging in the balance, the 21-year-old is open to dropping a level for her long-term gain. ''I really believe that the difference in level between the quote lower level tournaments and these tournaments is not that big,'' Raducanu said. ''Because you gain so many skills, you're playing in these conditions. The wind here was a prime example. My opponent Wang played a lot of ITF, and got a lot of matches under her belt, but the level really isn't that different. So yeah, I would play whatever suits my schedule, whatever suits the plan.'' Raducanu has already received a wild card for the Abu Dhabi Open in February, and after that comes the sunshine double of Indian Wells followed by the Miami Open. The 2021 US Open champion has revealed that she intends to feature in both events, and will be able to use her protected ranking, which would likely earn her a qualifying spot.