"She sells tickets and fans want to see her" - Emma Raducanu set to kickoff 2025 season at ASB Classic in Auckland

With the 2024 WTA season now behind her, tennis star Emma Raducanu has shifted her focus to the future as the British star was announced as an entrant at the 2025 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.

The former US Open champion ended her 2024 season prematurely, succumbing to a lingering injury during the Asian swing. Raducanu produced mixed results this year, failing to win a title but delighting home fans with a round of 16 appearance at Wimbledon.

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Raducanu set to use Auckland as warm up for Australian Open

The World No.58 made her comeback this year in Auckland, following an eight-month hiatus due to injury. Raducanu has begun each of her last two seasons at the ASB Classic, losing to eventual finalist Elina Svitolina in the second round at this year's edition.

Raducanu concluded negotiations to appear in Auckland during her Wimbledon run. The former World No.10 will likely get a lucrative appearance fee for participating at the tournament, with tournament organizers claiming her stardom warrants a spot at the event.

"Someone like Emma will always be on top of our list, she’s a marquee player, her ranking doesn’t really matter in terms of the star power that she brings to the tournament," said tournament director Nicolas Lamperin. "We’ve seen the effect on ticket sales, every time we have announced her there is always a major spike. We have also seen the reaction from our sponsors when we are having a discussion and sharing the possibility that she might be coming.
"She sells tickets and fans want to see her. She has a special relationship with Auckland and New Zealand."