US Open: Emma Raducanu Narrowly Escapes a Major Scare While Naomi Osaka’s Fate Dependant on Rivals

The American swing is nearing close but with severe stress for many players! After the Paris 2024 Olympics wrap up, the WTA Tour heads to the hard courts of Toronto, Canada, for the National Bank Open, followed by the Western & Southern Open, in Cincinnati, Ohio. And then, it’s the grand finale: the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the year, arriving on the heels of a busy summer of tennis. For most players, this stretch of the tour is a time of immense anticipation and high-stakes competition. But not everyone feels the same rush of excitement. For players like Naomi Osaka, it also brings a cloud of uncertainty.

The US Open organizers released the list of 96 players who have secured a spot in the main draw. While the list released on 15th July is a stress reliever for many players who found their names etched on it, it is a source of worry for many others, who despite their great records, have failed to find a name on it. And one of the biggest names who is facing such a scenario in the WTA circuit is Osaka.

The two-time US Open winner has failed to make a spot for herself in the initial list of the top 96 players. Placed at 102, the 26-year-old is six spots away from qualification. While she increased her chances by raising 11 ranks in the table after the Wimbledon first-round win, her second-round exit put a halt to her further rise. After the long hiatus of 15th months and her comeback only this season, the tennis star has failed to achieve something significant and the US Open hurdle is another major setback for her. However, Osaka’s British counterpart Emma Raducanu just saved herself. 

Raducanu’s sensational Wimbledon run to reach the fourth round gave her one of the biggest boosts in the ranking table. She jumped 41 spots to be placed at No. 94 with 799 points. Raducanu is the third last name to be placed in the main draw list, just above Jule Niemeier and Sara Errani. For the 2021 US Open winner, this is indeed a sigh of relief and another interesting opportunity to prove her mettle on the hard surface yet again. But, the situation is extremely worrisome for one of the other former US Open winners, Bianca Andreescu. 

The 2019 winner is currently ranked at 172. In such a scenario as this, her participation can become highlight unlikely in the major event. Both Osaka and Andreescu will have to rely on one of the eight wild cards or play qualifying to enter the event that starts on August 26. They can also move into the main draw after any initially accepted players withdraw before qualifying begins. But that is a later happening. The situation is equally confusing on the men’s side.

Will Rafael Nadal play at the US Open?

Nadal has been given a place in the main draw list of the US Open. Despite being ranked at 261, the former World No. 1 used his protected ranking to make an entry to the tournament. However, the confusion over his participation looms large.

Nadal is participating in tournaments very selectively. He decided to withdraw from Wimbledon this year citing transition challenges and opted to focus on the Summer Olympics. But since the shift from Paris to the US Open will also cause transitioning, it is unclear if Rafa will opt to take a risk given the magnitude of the injuries he has recently faced.

However, his record at the US Open puts an alternate side to the discussion. He has won four grand slams on this surface, the most after the French Open. Hence, he might take a chance to do something spectacular at the venue. With stress and confusion looming large for many players, it will be interesting to see how the tables turn in the near future and which players finally make it to the list.