"I didn’t want to risk anything": Raducanu explains why she skipped the Olympic Games

The 2021 US Open champion, Emma Raducanu, will compete this week in the WTA 500 Washington Open, marking the start of the hard-court swing. In the first round, she will face the 8th seed, Elise Mertens.

It was not an easy decision for Raducanu to skip the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. As a Grand Slam champion, she had the opportunity to receive an invitation from the ITF, similar to Caroline Wozniacki, but Raducanu decided not to participate in the tournament.

In May of this year, Raducanu had already chosen not to play Roland Garros, opting to begin her preparation for the grass swing well in advance. The 21-year-old explained that constant surface changes are not ideal at this stage of her career, given the numerous injuries and surgeries she has endured.

When asked in her Washington press conference about her absence from the Olympics, Raducanu said: "I would say for me, staying on one surface is important. The change of surface isn’t the best thing for me right now. In the future, maybe it would have been."

"At this moment in time, I think switching to clay straight after grass is such a big contrast, then back onto the hard courts, I didn’t want to risk anything. For me, this option was just a lot better," Raducanu added. "Of course, there are elements of FOMO, missing out."

"Watching the Olympic ceremony, everybody in the team kits, a part of you obviously wants to be there and representing your country. I think when I think big picture, long-term, it’s the right call."

The former world No. 10 will make her debut on Monday, July 29, on the central court of the WTA 500 Washington Open. Raducanu is one of the main stars of the draw, along with Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur, Paula Badosa, and Daria Kasatkina, among others.