Emma Raducanu withdraws from Macau exhibition, pushes comeback plan to 2024

Former British No. 1 Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the MGM Macau Tennis Masters, a two-day indoor hard court mixed exhibition tournament that was scheduled to be held in December.

The Briton has battled injuries and a subsequent loss of form since her dream run to the 2021 US Open crown. She has not played since the Stuttgart Grand Prix back in April and is on a comeback trail after having undergone minor surgeries on both her wrists.

Fans were expecting to see Raducanu after her long absence from competition, but the event organizers confirmed the news of her withdrawal.

The competition was being organized by IMG, the Briton's management agency. An IMG spokesperson, however, has now told The Times that Raducanu has decided to focus on reaching her full fitness level and be in the best possible shape for the start of next season in Australia.

According to the report, the youngster took the call to withdraw from the tournament early so as to not risk any potential inconvenience in Macau by pulling out at the last minute.

Olympic champion and former top-10 women’s singles player Belinda Bencic was slated to be among the top talents participating in the competition. She and Raducanu were supposed to be joined by the leading American men’s duo of Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz at the event, scheduled for December 2 and 3.

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Emma Raducanu down to 288 in the world rankings

Emma Raducanu at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open.

Emma Raducanu's long absence from the Tour has taken a toll on her world ranking, with her languishing at a lowly No. 288. She had attained a career-high no. 10 in July last year.

Raducanu has spoken about missing being out on court, competiting and training, in an interview with BBC Radio 4 last month — hinting at her desire be make a comeback sooner than later.

"I think the biggest thing from the last few months was how much I missed the sport," she had said. "I think that was the standout thing - how much I missed training, how much I missed my body hurting and feeling tired and dragging yourself through certain exercises when you don't feel like it."

Raducanu has a protected world ranking of No. 103, which might just secure her a direct entry into the main draw of the 2024 Australian Open. Otherwise, she will need to secure a wildcard to play at the season-opening Grand Slam.