Britain’s Emma Raducanu will play world number three Coco Gauff in the second round at Indian Wells – if she can beat Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in the first round.

Raducanu is scheduled to play world number 52 Uchijima on the tournament’s opening day on Wednesday.

It will be the British number two’s first tournament since a stalking ordeal at the Dubai Tennis Championships last week.

The former US Open champion was shaken after a man “exhibited fixated behaviour” during her second-round match.

The man was later detained and given a restraining order, Dubai Police said.

Raducanu was deliberating whether to travel to the United States for the hard-court event following the incident, but has decided to compete.

In the men’s draw, Novak Djokovic’s second-round opponent could be Australian Nick Kyrgios.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion is also projected to meet Carlos Alcaraz in the last eight, in a repeat of their Australian Open quarter-final.

Andy Murray has flown to the United States to continue his coaching role with Djokovic, with the pair having worked together on a trial basis at January’s Australian Open.

British number one Katie Boulter, who has a first-round bye, will play Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu or American Ann Li in the second round.

In the men’s draw, Cameron Norrie faces Luca Nardi and Jacob Fearnley will play 18-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca, who won his first ATP singles title at the Argentina Open last month.

The winner of that match will play British number one Jack Draper, who has a first-round bye.

The Californian event is one of the biggest tournaments of the season outside of the four Grand Slams, with the world’s best men and women competing in a combined ATP/WTA event over a fortnight.

Emma Raducanu vowed to play more matches in 2025, but her efforts are being thwarted by the worst run of form in her professional career and now she has suffered a third straight first-round defeat after going out of the Qatar Open after losing against Ekaterina Alexandrova.

The Brit started her season with victory over Russia’s Alexandrova in the first round of the Australian Open, but she could not repeat that success as she was beaten 6-3, 7-5 in the first round of the WTA 1000 event.

It was a fourth straight loss for the 2021 US Open champion after she was beaten in the opening round of tournaments in Singapore and Abu Dhabi, with confidence certain to be hit by this slide in fortunes.

This poor run for Raducanu started with a thumping 6-1, 6-0 defeat against world No 2 Iga Swiatek in the third round of the Australian Open.

Raducanu has been praised for her eagerness to add more tournaments to her schedule and she was preparing to play in qualifying for the first time since her US Open win ahead of the tournament in Abu Dhabi before getting a late wild card into the main draw for that event.

Yet a recurring theme is continuing to undermine Raducanu’s efforts, with her second serve dismantled once again by her latest opponent.

The Brit won just 33 per-cent of the points on her second serve and faced eight break points in the two-set match against Alexandrova.

She saved five of those break points, but her constant struggles to hold serve is an issue that needs to be ironed out before she can be competitive against the better players on the WTA Tour.

It remains to be seen where she will play her next match and it may be that the time has come to take a step away from the weekly grind of trying to find a way and return to the UK to ponder her options as she aims to appoint a new coach.

After Nick Cavaday opted to leave her team on health grounds after the Australian Open, Raducanu’s mentor Jane O’Donoghue flew out to Doha to offer support, but that appears to be very much a temporary fix to the coaching void.

Despite the pessimism around Raducanu after her run of defeats, Sky Sports Tennis commentator Jonathan Overend is convinced her fortunes will turn around if she continues to battle to find her best form.

“I genuinely think this year is quite exciting for Raducanu,” Overend told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview. “I still don’t see her playing with the sort of consistency that British tennis wants and hope for, as I feel she is going to be one of those players who can blow hot and cold across tournaments and swings.

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“What we do know is that when she is fit and on form, she has that Grand Slam-winning performance in her. She will turn up to Grand Slams in the future and get close to winning it, I have no doubt about that.

“We can look at her serve and say it needs to improve and we can say that she didn’t beat any top players when she won the 2021 US Open, but she still had to come through three matches in qualifying, seven matches in the main draw and she won them all without dropping a set.

“I don’t necessarily see her game as being worse than it was when she won the US Open, so she will always have a chance of clicking. We know it can come together for a period of time and if it all comes together, I honestly believe she can win another Grand Slam.

“I’m not going to say she’s won one and will never get close to winning another won. On current evidence, it looks like it’s going to be tough for her to get close to another Grand Slam, but I believe it can happen.

“I love the way she sits in press conferences, smiles about it all if it has gone wrong and appears to take it all in her stride. It shows she has a certain level of relaxation and comfort in what she is all about that some players just don’t have. A lot of players are so stressed and if I was her, I’d be so frustrated if I were in her shoes as her game is so consistent.

“I can’t wait for the day it all clicks because she will turn around to everyone and say: ‘There you go, I told you so. That’s why I’m still playing’.

“She is still young. When you look at the top of the WTA Tour, there are not too many young players and that suggests Raducanu will be in a position to put herself in contention to win big events for a long time.”

Emma Raducanu suffered a disappointing defeat in her first match since parting ways with coach Nick Cavaday. The 2021 US Open champion lost 7-5 5-7 5-7 to world No. 101 Cristina Bucsa in the opening round of the WTA 250 Singapore Open. The grueling contest lasted over three hours, with the British tennis star struggling to maintain her leads throughout the match.

Raducanu initially recovered from a 4-5 deficit in the first set to take the lead, but Bucsa fought back to claim the second set in another tight battle. In the deciding set, the 22-year-old led 2-0 and 3-1 but could not consolidate her advantage, as she was immediately broken back each time. At 5-4 in the final set, the 2021 US Open champion had a chance to close the match, but Bucsa reeled off three consecutive games to secure victory.

Serving Woes Cost Emma Raducanu

Raducanu’s performance was plagued by serving issues, and the statistics highlight her struggles. Despite hitting seven aces and landing 73% of her first serves, her second serve proved to be a significant weakness. The Brit won only 24% of her second-serve points, claiming just 8 of 33. The situation worsened in the third set, where she was broken four times, hit five double faults, and managed to win only one of 13 second-serve points, a brutal 8% success rate.

While Raducanu managed to break Bucsa serve eight times, she also lost her own serve on nine occasions. This inconsistency ultimately cost her the match and denied her the chance to face qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the second round.

Coaching Change and 2025 Developments

Last week, it was announced that Nick Cavaday had stepped down from his role as Emma Raducanu’s coach. The two had first worked together during the British junior days before reuniting last season, helping the Brit climb back into the WTA Top 100 after missing much of 2023 due to surgeries. Despite the British tennis star’s hopes for a long-term partnership, Cavaday cited personal reasons for his decision to step away.

In his absence, Raducanu had her mother, Renee, in the stands alongside her new fitness trainer, Yutaka Nakamura. However, she visibly struggled in the closing stages of the physically demanding match.

Raducanu had shown promise earlier in the season, reaching the third round of the Australian Open. However, her early exit in Singapore raises concerns about her form and ability to compete at the highest level without a dedicated coach. The British No. 2 will now need to regroup as she prepares for upcoming tournaments, hoping to regain her confidence and consistency on the court.

Emma Raducanu succumbed to a damaging 5-7, 7-5, 7-5 defeat to world No. 101 Cristina Bucșa in the first round of the Singapore Open on Monday.

The Brit was again plagued by issues with her service game as she made seven double faults and won just 25% of the points on her second serve in a marathon contest that lasted more than three hours.

The match was Raducanu’s first since the announcement of her split with Nick Cavaday on Friday that left her searching for the seventh coach of her career.

The defeat, which follows the thrashing she received at the hands of Iga Swiatek in Melbourne on Jan. 17, scuppered Raducanu’s hopes of earning some decent ranking points at the WTA event. If she had reached the quarterfinal stage at the Kallang Tennis Centre, Raducanu would likely have broken back into the top 50.

Raducanu was seeded seventh in Singapore and it was felt that the draw that paired her with Bucșa was a fortuitious one for the 2021 US Open finalist.

The 22-year-old survived an early scare from Bucșa after the Moldovan-born Spaniard earned two break points in the opening set before Raducanu battled back to hold.

Doubles specialist Bucșa also struggled with her serve during the contest as the second set began with three breaks. But Bucșa managed to get keep her nose in front to win a seventh game and level the scores.

Emma Raducanu has hinted that she’s feeling ‘bitter’ following her recent Australian Open exit at the hands of Iga Swiatek.

Swiatek beat the Briton 6-1, 6-0 in their showdown at the Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, with the world No 2 since charging on towards the semi-finals of the competition.

As for Raducanu, the Briton appears to have already jetted back home.

And she’s now suggested she’s still feeling a tad ‘bitter’ about things after her hopes of Grand Slam glory went up in smoke.

Raducanu, writing on her Instagram story, shared a snap of herself holding ‘Milk And Honey’ from author Rupi Kaur.

She then cryptically wrote: “Find sweetness even if bitter.”

Raducanu had gone into the Australian Open hoping to add to the US Open title she claimed against all odds back in 2021.

Yet while she performed well enough during victories over Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova, she ultimately came up short.

Speaking after her defeat, Raducanu admitted that she felt she didn’t play very well.

But the tennis star also expressed a belief the scoreline was ‘harsh’, too.

She stated: “She played very well, but I also think that I didn’t play very well. It’s just not a great combination.

“If a top player is playing perfect, it’s going to be a difficult match already… The scoreline was obviously quite harsh.

“I’m very clear on what happened out there. If I’m not necessarily able to hold my service games or dictate, I feel like it seeps into the rest of my game.

“On my second serves, how the point is structured from then on, and also in the return games, you feel a lot more pressure.

“That was probably a big aspect today.”

And Raducanu also insisted there were ‘no excuses’ for winning just a single game against Swiatek.

Emma Raducanu overcame second-serve wobbles to start her 2025 season with a scrappy win in the Australian Open first round.

The British number two, whose preparations were disrupted by a back injury, won 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) against Russian 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

While hitting well from the baseline, Raducanu was hampered by double faults and lost serve six times.

The 2021 US Open champion hit 15 double faults, including a particularly-deflating one on break point when she looked to close out a straight-set victory from a 5-4 30-0 lead.

However, the way she regrouped and dominated another tie-break to get over the line was impressive.

The 22-year-old had a sheepish grin as she walked to the net and said afterwards: “I think my serve had a mind of its own.”

World number 61 Raducanu will face another higher-ranked player next in Amanda Anisimova.

The 23-year-old American, who is ranked 35th having returned from a nine-month mental health break in 2023, beat Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carle 6-2 6-3 to set up Thursday’s match.

Emma Raducanu has revealed she refused to use an antiseptic spray to treat insect bites for fear of failing a drug test before the Australian Open.

The 22-year-old British tennis star said her hand and ankle swelled up but she refused the treatment in case contamination led to a positive doping test.

Raducanu told reporters at a pre-tournament news conference on Friday: “All of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use.

“Yesterday, for example, I got really badly bitten by I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess.

“They flared up and swelled up really a lot.”

She added: “Someone was, like, giving me this antiseptic spray, natural, to try to ease the bites.

“I didn’t want to take it. I didn’t want to spray it. I was just like left there with my swollen ankle and hand.

“I was, like, I’m just going to tough it out because I don’t want to risk it.

“It’s obviously a concern on our mind. We’re all in the same boat.

“I think it’s just how we manage as best as we can the controllables. If something out of our control happens, then it’s going to be a bit of a struggle to try and prove.”

‘I’m a dangerous opponent for anyone’

Raducanu pulled out of her scheduled warm-up tournament in Auckland last week with what she described as a back niggle, but has been training at Melbourne Park this week.

She said the source of the problem was a spasm suffered while training in London.

“One morning I was warming up, bent over to tie my laces, and I had a spasm. That was really it,” she said.

“It took a while to clear. I’ve had them before. They’ve usually settled within a few days. But this one niggled for a couple of weeks. I had to miss quite a bit of training before I left, wasn’t able to play Auckland.”

Asked how she was feeling ahead of the start of the tournament in Melbourne, she said: “I’ve been feeling good. I think the last 10 days I’ve had a positive block of training.

“Coming back on the court, adapting to the conditions here, has been good for me. Now I feel good and I feel ready to give it my best here.”

She added: “I’ve been playing sets with top players. I’m feeling like I’m holding my own more than okay in those instances and practices.

“I feel pretty good with my game. I’m looking forward to putting it on the match court. I think I can be a dangerous opponent for anyone really.”

Raducanu faces a challenging start to the campaign – a first-round match on Monday against 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

“It’s a tricky draw, of course,” she said.

“Being unseeded, you can play any top opponent. She’s a player with a lot of experience. I guess I’m coming in with the underdog mentality. She’s been in this situation many more times than I have.”

The Grand Slam at Melbourne Park begins on Sunday 12 January.

‘Withdrawal Incoming’ – Emma Raducanu’s Nightmare Australian Open Draw Fuels Fans’ Fears of Another Setback

When the going gets tough, the tough get going! Can the British star, Emma Raducanu take the bull by the horns in Melbourne? The 2021 US Open champion has been handed a very tricky draw at the 2025 Australian Open. In the 2024 season, she played only 36 matches! Injuries and lack of form have been her major obstacles in her road to glory in the last four years. She was all set to start her 2025 season at the ASB Classic. However, a back niggle pulled her out of that warm-up tournament. Now, after seeing this tough draw, tennis fans have come out in numbers to showcase their concern about her chances in the ‘Melbourne Slam‘.

Who will be her probable opponents at the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2025 season, though? Well, Emma Raducanu is the only British player to draw a seed at the AO after being paired with Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round. After missing out on her chances in Auckland, she’ll be desperate to make a winning start to her campaign in Melbourne.

Since traveling to Melbourne, Emma Raducanu has trained normally on the tournament grounds and has looked in good shape during her practice sessions. On Tuesday, she even took part in a practice session with the 2022 Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina. Interestingly, the Brit won the practice set against Rybakina on the Rod Laver Arena. Is this an indication of brighter days, for Emma Raducanu in the upcoming months? Well, fans aren’t too optimistic about her chances at the 2025 AO, though!

Why is it so? Well, if Emma Raducanu wins her first match against Alexandrova, then she could possibly face either America’s Amanda Anisimova or Maria Lourdes Carle (ARG) in the second round, and guess what will happen if Raducanu manages to win these two battles successfully? Well, since Emma Raducanu has been drawn into Iga Swiatek’s section of the singles draw, there is a higher possibility of her facing the Pole in the third round.

Emma Raducanu has faced Iga Swiatek three times in her career and she has lost all three of her matches against the former world number one. So, fans feel this is nothing but a nightmare draw for the Brit! Suppose, Raducanu manages to pull off a massive setback in Melbourne, who will she face in her next matches? If the Brit manages to beat Swiatek then she’d face either Anna Kalinskaya or Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round. Then in the QF, there is a high possibility of her facing either Emma Navarro or Maria Sakkari.

She hasn’t yet faced Navarro in her career but has a 2-0 lead over the Greek in the H2H record, so this is relatively looking much easier for Emma Raducanu. However, we must not forget that both Navarro and Sakkari have been relatively consistent performers on the Tour, unlike Raducanu in the last few years. If she reaches the SF, then she might face Elena Rybakina. Even there is a chance of her facing Danielle Collins in the semis.

Although the fans have ruled out all the chances of her reaching this far, still suppose Emma Raducanu reaches the final then she will have to battle it out against the defending champion, Aryna Sabalenka, or the in-form American Coco Gauff. What are the fans saying though, after seeing her draw at the 2025 AO?

Fans aren’t too optimistic about Emma Raducanu’s chances of seeing it through in this tough draw at the 2025 AO

Emma Raducanu is known for her resilience and during a recent interview she was seen highlighting a bit about how she deals with all the challenges that come her way. She said, “I’ve learned that life is full of twists and turns, but it’s how you navigate those moments that define you. As an athlete, that is never truer than when you are injured and facing criticism. It can feel like a constant uphill battle, but you can view it as either an obstacle or an opportunity to grow.”

Can Emma Radcuanu overcome these challenges and silence her critics with an incredible run at the 2025 AO? Well, after seeing this draw fans have already started to rule her out of this mega event. A fan tweeted, “I mean it was never really going to happen for Emma anyways.“

Former British tennis player, Mark Petchey recently made a bold prediction saying that Emma Raducanu is on the cusp of clinching ‘big titles’ this year, provided she makes strides in honing her forehand shots. However, seeing her tough draw at the ‘Melbourne Slam’ fans feel that’s really going to be a bit tough in this tournament. Highlighting her probable first three opponents in this mega tournament, a fan wrote, “That is the worst!“

Emma Raducanu has never faced Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova in her career and this is what makes this contest more interesting. Alexandrova is currently ranked 27th in the world, while Anisimova is ranked 36th. On the other hand, Emma Radcuanu is placed at the 60th spot in the women’s singles ranking! So, considering all these factors, some of the fans feel, “She needs to worry about R1 and R2.”

Raducanu’s best record at the AO has been reaching the second round. Can she make a longer run in this season? Well, in December 2024, she shared her thoughts about her tennis goals. She said, “Initially when I first started before I won the US Open, my main reason was: ‘I want to win a grand slam’. And that happened so young. I’m so grateful for it. But as soon as that happens, I’m like, ‘OK, well what now? I want to win another grand slam’. It’s just not sustainable.” So, all she wants now is to “enjoy” what she’s doing and “stay on court longer“.

However, after seeing her frequent withdrawals from the tournaments in the last few years, some of the fans have raised serious doubts about her chances at the 2025 AO by saying, “Withdrawal incoming then.” Can Emma Raducanu prove all her doubters, wrong? Time will tell!

Another British legend, Tim Henman said that he believes Emma Raducanu has got what it takes to compete at the highest level and challenge for big titles like Grand Slams. However, after seeing this, “crazyyyyyy” draw featuring Raducanu, some of the fans felt early knockout may well be on the cards. It will be interesting to see how far she goes at the 2025 AO. What’s your prediction, though?

Emma Raducanu injury update emerges as she shares practice session footage ahead of Australian Open

Emma Raducanu has already had her 2025 season disrupted by injury, with the Briton having withdrawn from the ASB Classic.

Naomi Osaka lost the ASB Classic final to Clara Tauson, a competition which Raducanu had planned to compete in to kickstart her WTA season.

Both Raducanu and Osaka rose the WTA rankings in 2024, having enjoyed a handful of impressive results.

But Raducanu missed the ASB Classic with a back injury, while Osaka retired hurt in the final with an abdominal problem.

Both players will be desperate to recover in time for the Australian Open, which gets underway in Melbourne later this month.

Emma Raducanu injury update emerges ahead of Australian Open

Fortunately, Raducanu is now back on the court, with the former British number one resharing footage of her in a practice session in Melbourne on her Instagram story.

The 2021 US Open champion can be seen serving at a high intensity and smashing a forehand effort before returning to the baseline.

Her fellow WTA ace Caroline Garcia then shared an image of the duo on her Instagram story, having taken part in a practice session together.

“Great practice with Emma Raducanu,” commented world number 58 Garcia. “Wishing you a great season.”

Caroline Wozniacki among notable Australian Open withdrawals

An Australian Open withdrawal will be the last thing Raducanu wants and indeed needs at this stage of her career.

The former WTA number 10 has had a simply horrible time with injuries over the years despite being only 22.

It is clear how much ability and potential she has, with a clean run simply required in order for Raducanu to build momentum and start winning titles.

The Australian Open meanwhile would be suffering a huge blow if she did fail to recover in time and feature at the Grand Slam.

Plenty of star names have already taken that decision, with Caroline Wozniacki pulling out of the Australian Open alongside Barbora Krejcikova, Karolina Pliskova and Martina Trevisan.

Simona Halep meanwhile has withdrawn from qualification after being handed a wildcard for the tournament.

A respected voice in the tennis world believes “it is only a matter of time” before Emma Raducanu climbs up the rankings, but he acknowledges there is one “big question” mark if she is to enjoy a “big year”.

Sky Sports Tennis commentator Jonathan Overend feels Raducanu “made huge strides last year” and she will reap the rewards in 2025.

Following an injury-disrupted 2023 campaign during which she played only 10 matches after undergoing surgery on both her wrists and one ankle, Raducanu started the 2024 campaign at No 301 in the world.

She made a sluggish start to the season, but found some form during the grass-court swing as she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and semi-final at Nottingham.

Raducanu returned to the top 100 after Wimbledon and eventually finished the year at No 57, but she has since slipped to No 60 after missing the 2025 season-opening ASB Classic due to injury.

But there have been a lot of promising signs 22-year-old on and off the court over the past 12 months. The 2021 US Open winner hired renowned fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura ahead of 2025 and he joins her coaching team alongside Nick Cavaday, who teamed up with her at the start of the last year.

Overend says Raducanu has the perfect set-up.

“Yutaka Nakamura is a very experienced fitness trainer on the tennis circuit, worked for many years with Maria Sharapova,” he told Sky Sports Tennis.

“I think he is exactly the right sort of person for Raducanu to have at her side alongside her coach Nick Cavaday, who has been doing excellent work with her over the last year or so.”

Emma Raducanu News

There is no doubt that Raducanu – who peaked at No 10 after winning the US Open – will surge up the rankings, but Overend admits she will need to stay fit in order to fulfil her potential.

He added: “The thing with Raducanu is she is 60 in the world having made huge strides last year and having played just slightly over 10 tournaments, I think it was 13 events.

“To get to that number playing relatively few tournaments is quite an achievement in itself so I think it is only a matter of time before Raducanu gets back inside the world’s top 50. Then it is about how many of the big tournaments she can pull out big results in because that is really where the big ranking points are available at.

“As we know from her exploits at the US Open in 2021, when she famously won it as a qualifier without dropping a set, she has that ability on her day to beat the very best.

“If she can stay fit, that really is the big question. Now with this established, settled team around her, I think 2025 could be a big year for Emma Raducanu.”