Emma RADUCANU set for another rankings dive after Miami Open withdrawal albeit with positive caveat

As Emma Raducanu gets ready for the clay court season starting at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart in the middle of April, she will suffer another WTA Rankings dive when the new lists are confirmed after the Miami Open after withdrawing from the latest WTA 1000. But there is a caveat.

Raducanu decided to withdraw due to an issue with her lower back and didn't want to risk it going into a busy clay court season. But in her effort to not rely on wildcards and reestablish herself, it is not going too well. She is projected to sit just inside the World's top 300 when the new rankings are released.

Her practicing on clay also confirms that potentially she won't bother with playing the Billie Jean King Cup against France next month and instead will focus on Stuttgart with the two tournaments close to each other. The positive news comes though for Raducanu in that she has very little to defend from now on so every match if she wins will boost her ranking.

This is a positive too as seen by Caroline Wozniacki, Naomi Osaka and even in a small amount, Angelique Kerber who have all risen from no rankings to in the case of Osaka well back in the world's top 200 and will likely head back towards the top 100 by the time Roland Garros comes around. So she knows the equation that a few wins will get her there. But this next week will see the last rankings slump in a while and one that Raducanu will be relieved to get shot of.

With Andy Murray now injured too, all British eyes will be on Raducanu and Katie Boulter in particular heading towards Wimbledon and after early promise in her comeback, the injury shows that there is still a way to go until she is back to her best.