Emma Raducanu can try and reverse injury fortune against Jelena Ostapenko in Stuttgart | Tennis | Sport
Raducanu has a brutal draw at this week’s WTA 500 in Stuttgart as she faces fellow former Grand Slam champion Ostapenko in the first round. The winner will then meet third seed Ons Jabeur – who the 20-year-old practised with over the weekend.
While she has a tough opener, the British No 1 can try and reverse some of her poor injury luck against Ostapenko, with their clash serving as something of a grudge match. Raducanu last faced the world No 22 in Seoul last September but had to retire while trailing 4-6 6-3 3-0.
It remains the only semi-final that the 20-year-old has reached since winning the 2021 US Open as a qualifier. But she lost her chance to try and make her first final on the WTA Tour circuit after picking up a glute problem in the final set and forfeiting the match.
The clash marked Raducanu’s fourth and final retirement of the 2022 season, and her injury woes have continued this season. The world No 68 rolled her ankle in her second match of the year at the ASB Classic and was forced to retire.
It hindered her Aussie Open preparations and she crashed out to Coco Gauff in the second round. The 20-year-old was then sidelined as she tried to recover from the injury but caught tonsillitis and had to pull out of her comeback tournament in Austin.
