17 June 2024 , 13:26
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Emma Raducanu has risen 44 places in the WTA Rankings following her run to the semi-finals of the Nottingham Open last week.
Raducanu, 21, burst onto the scene in 2021 by winning the US Open at the tender age of 18 but has been hampered by injuries in recent years and headed into the Nottingham Open ranked 209th in the world.
After advancing to the latter stages of the competition, the Brit was handed a bye to the last four after her quarter-final opponent, Francesca Jones, was forced to withdraw from the tournament with a shoulder injury. Raducanu would go on to miss out on a place in the final after losing 6-7 6-3 6-4 to eventual winner Katie Boulter, but her run in Nottingham has still had a huge affect on her place in the rankings.
It was confirmed on Monday by the WTA that Raducanu had jumped up the rankings, with the youngster now ranked 165th in the world. And with Wimbledon and the US Open still to come, she could yet make more big gains before the year is out.
While she will have one eye on Flushing Meadows, Raducanu's primary focus will now turn to Wimbledon. She was forced to miss her home tournament last year after undergoing double wrist surgery and will be bidding to go further than her previous best, which was the fourth round back in 2021.
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With Wimbledon just a fortnight away, Raducanu offered an encouraging update after her showdown with Boulter, insisting she "felt strong". She said: "I feel really good, after the match I went and did intervals. I feel strong, I feel like I could play tomorrow, I am just shaking off a bit of a bug and cold but otherwise physically I am great.
"For me it was a good start to grass court season, it was nice to get some matches. I am disappointed, but Katie played and served in particularly really well."
Raducanu came up short in the Nottingham Open semi-finals against Katie Boulter (PA)While Raducanu will compete at Wimbledon, she has declined an invitation to be part of Team GB at this summer's Olympics in Paris. Boulter will be Great Britain's sole representative in the women's singles.
Raducanu explained that her decision was driven by her health, with the Brit wary of taking on too much too soon after returning to court following her lengthy lay-off last year.
After the Great Britain's team was confirmed, she explained: "I'm very single minded and I do things my own way and in my own time whenever I want. So not in a diva way, [I'm] just prioritising my body and my health because I know if I'm fit, I know if I'm giving my 100%, I know great things are happening and coming.
"I just don't think there's any need to put additional stress on my body or any risk, especially with my history."