Emma Raducanu would be ‘hunted’ if she played in lower ranked events, according to former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Tamira Paszek.
Raducanu has come under fire in recent months for stepping away from competing in qualifying competitions for big tournaments, after admitting she may have made mistakes with her scheduling decisions since her run to the fourth round at Wimbledon in July.
“I would have preferred to probably play a little bit more before coming into the US Open,” said Raducanu after her first round defeat in the final Grand Slam of 2024
I know when I have a lot of matches, just like every player, you feel really good, you feel like everything’s automatic.
The suggestion that Raducanu’s team of advisers may have played a role in her decision not to play in qualifying at the French Open and WTA 1000 event in Toronto inspired reports in the UK that her absence from the tour was due to a decision that her lucrative sponsors may be impressed by one of their highest paid ambassadors playing, and possibly losing, against low ranked players in qualifying.
Yet there are always two sides to every story and in the opinion of former world No 26 Paszek, Raducanu needs to be wise when selecting which tournaments she enters.
Many have urged the 2021 US Open champion to play in lower ranked events in a bid to boost her ranking, but Paszek believes that plan could be flawed.
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