Emma Raducanu's tennis return set for ASB Classic in Auckland as road to 2024 Australian Open begins

Emma Raducanu will finally return to tennis in the first weeks of 2024 after being confirmed for the ASB Classic in Auckland.

The 2021 US Open champion has been out of action since April and has fallen to World No.296 following three operations and faces a real battle to play the Australian Open. She has been awarded a wildcard into the tournament taking place between 1-7 January.

It is a line-up that also features Coco Gauff and Caroline Wozniacki, with the latter receiving a wildcard and garners a good line-up especially with competition from the United Cup and Brisbane International, both with big names.

Raducanu was restricted to just nine matches in 2023 and in May had surgery on both her hands and left ankle which ironically she injured in Auckland at the start of the year. This saw complaints from the Brit about the conditions and organizers who were quipped about her getting a wildcard believed this could've meant she wouldn't play the tournament.

But likely with the chase for wildcards at other tournaments means that Raducanu has to return to almost vanquish those demons and aim for match practice. Something that she didn't get in Macau with there being real doubts about her Australian Open after seemingly having another injury setback and withdrawing from the exhibition.

According to the BBC, Raducanu is said to have made good progress training with LTA staff at the National Tennis Centre over the past eight weeks, but no such indication is there on the team who will accompany her to Australia and what her plans are outside of playing Auckland.