Emma Raducanu, having received a wild card entry, is set to compete in the Qatar Open where she will face Anhelina Kalinina in the opening round.
After her loss to Ons Jabeur in the second round of the WTA Tour event in Abu Dhabi, Raducanu expressed her desire to play in Doha, which has now been granted.
The 21-year-old, who has won three out of six matches since her return from an eight-month hiatus, will begin her campaign against the 32nd-ranked Ukrainian next week. The two have previously met on the clay courts of Madrid in 2022, with Kalinina emerging victorious in a closely contested three-set match.
The winner of this match will advance to face the powerful eighth seed Jelena Ostapenko, who has already claimed two titles this season.
Raducanu has shown promising signs since returning to the tour in January after recovering from three operations last spring, displaying some of her best form in a comprehensive first-round victory over Marie Bouzkova in Abu Dhabi.
However, she expressed disappointment over her 6-4, 6-1 loss to Jabeur, acknowledging her opponent’s strong performance.
The Qatar tournament marks the first WTA 1000 event of the season, featuring the return of Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff since the Australian Open. However, Aryna Sabalenka, the champion of Melbourne, will not be participating in the event.
