Lauren Davis, an American player, has withdrawn from this month’s Australian Open due to a shoulder injury.
This means the 21-year-old British player, Emma Raducanu, will no longer need to participate in the qualifying rounds and can directly enter the Grand Slam event’s main draw.
Despite being placed 301st in the world, Raducanu will be seeded 103rd – thanks to her special ranking, which reflects her position before she took a six-month break due to injury.
Raducanu, who underwent wrist and ankle surgery in May and took to the practice court for the first time in August 2023, has been struggling with injuries since her impressive victory at the US Open in 2021.
She had only won five of ten matches, lost four, and retired from one before her surgery.
The Australian Open, which starts on January 14th in Melbourne, will see the draw take place on Thursday, January 11th.
