EMMA RADUCANU has taken a wild card into the WTA tournament in Abu Dhabi next week and will play in qualifying for the first time since winning the US Open.

Raducanu famously became the first qualifier ever to win a grand slam title in New York in 2021, catapulting her to stardom and making her a prime candidate for receiving wild cards into the biggest events.

The 22-year-old has taken advantage of those opportunities but has also been criticised for appearing reluctant to play in qualifying where necessary.

At the French Open last year, Raducanu pulled out shortly before she had been due to compete in qualifying, preferring to do a training block ahead of the grass-court season.

She cited a desire to play more tournaments this year after a sparse schedule last season as she bids to push her ranking back towards the top of the game, and this decision is another encouraging sign.

After losing in the third round of the Australian Open to Iga Swiatek, Raducanu headed straight to Singapore, where she lost a three-hour battle with Cristina Bucsa on Monday.

Qualifying in Abu Dhabi begins on Saturday and the world number 56 will bid to secure a place in the main draw alongside the likes of defending champion Elena Rybakina and Australian Open semi-finalist Paula Badosa.

Raducanu continues to travel solely with new fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura after coach Nick Cavaday stepped down for health reasons.

Jack Draper, though, will not be playing next week after withdrawing from the ATP Tour event in Rotterdam.

The British number one is continuing to recover from the hip problem that forced him to pull out during his fourth-round clash with Carlos Alcaraz in Melbourne and is next planning to compete in Doha in two weeks’ time.