Emma Raducanu now knows who her first opponent of the 2025 season will be.
The Brit endured another frustrating campaign in 2024, as she was once again blighted by injuries following her return after ankle and double wrist surgery.
Despite her fitness issues and lack of matches played, the 22-year-old was still able to climb back into the top 60 after starting the year ranked outside the top 300.
Now heading into 2025 following some promising performances at the Billie Jean King Cup and adding fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura to her team, Raducanu feels fresh and motivated ahead of Auckland’s ASB Classic.
Who will Emma Raducanu play at the Auckland Open?
Emma Raducanu returns to Auckland to commence her season for the third year in a row.
The British player has been placed in the top half of the draw, which includes top seed Madison Keys and Lulu Sun, who beat the 2021 US Open winner at Wimbledon.
The tournament will begin on December 30, and Raducanu’s first opponent will be America’s Robin Montgomery.
The pair have yet to play against one another, and it is sure to be a fascinating contest with two of the brightest young talents on the WTA Tour.
Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka is also in the draw, and is playing in Auckland for the first time since 2017. She will start her campaign against a qualifier.
What is Emma raducanu’s record at Auckland’s ASB Classic?
Raducanu has played at the ASB CLassic in both 2023 and 2024 and reached the last 16 on both occasions.
In 2023 she was forced to retire from the contest against Viktória Hrunčáková with the score locked at one set apiece. The following year she lost a three-set battle against Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Elina Svitolina.
Speaking about Raducanu’s return to Auckland in 2025 , tournament director Nicolas Lamperin told the New Zealand Herald: “Someone like Emma will always be on top of our list, she’s a marquee player, her ranking doesn’t really matter in terms of the star power that she brings to the tournament.
“We’ve seen the effect on ticket sales, every time we have announced her there is always a major spike.
“We have also seen the reaction from our sponsors when we are having a discussion and sharing the possibility that she might be coming. She sells tickets and fans want to see her. She has a special relationship with Auckland and New Zealand.”
