Emma Raducanu’s Olympic snub makes perfect sense – and could aid rankings quest

Emma-Raducanu-Celebration

It is official: Emma Raducanu will not head the Olympic Games this summer.

Rumours swirled about whether she would head to Paris or not, but the 2021 US Open champion has turned down the chance to compete as she continues her return.

This decision will raise a few eyebrows, but fundamentally it is the right one for her to take.

Career beginnings

Raducanu is still only 21, and will only turn 22 later this year.

The Brit has been in the public consciousness for so long now it is easy to forget she was just 18 when she won the US Open and is still very much in the early stages of her career.

Raducanu will likely be able to play at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, and the Brisbane 2032 Games – and maybe even return to the Olympics in 2036.

Considering the future opportunities that may come her way, it is easy to see why playing at Paris 2024 may not have been the best decision for her to make – even if she had been selected.

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Unnecessary surface change

The biggest challenge for players at the Olympics this year will be the quick turnaround in surfaces.

After playing on the grass at Wimbledon, players return to Olympic clay at Roland Garros, before transitioning into hard courts for the US summer and beyond.

This will be a tricky challenge for any player, especially for one such as Raducanu – with long-term injury and fitness issues.

Not playing in Paris is in keeping with what she said before her French Open withdrawal.

“It’s important for me to keep laying on the foundations and I will use the time to do a healthy block before the grass and subsequent hard-court seasons to give myself a chance to keep fit for the rest of the year,” she commented at the time.

Moving onto the clay for only one event could severely disrupt her hard court preparations for the rest of 2024, where it will be hoped she plays a full schedule.

This sentiment was also expressed by the LTA’s head of women’s tennis, Iain Bates, in Sunday’s team announcement.

He said: “I think a lot of that is obviously the late notice for the spot, I think there is the bit around the surface change between grass and clay and hard.

“Everyone is aware of her history and the double wrist surgery from last year that places a greater stress on her.”

Rankings boost

An Olympic gold medal is one of the biggest prizes in tennis but, unlike the Grand Slams or 1000-level events, there will be no ranking points up for grabs.

For someone in Raducanu’s position, missing the chance to earn vital points would be a huge loss.

And with plenty of points up for grabs this summer on hard courts – a surface she is proven on – it looks like a case of full steam ahead towards the US swing after Wimbledon.

Instead of playing in Paris, the Brit may now choose to play at the WTA 500 event in Washington, and considering the field may be depleted, the opportunity to go deep and gain some big points is there.

“There is an element of where her ranking is currently and getting to the US potentially and keeping on pushing her ranking back towards where we all hope it will be,” Bates added.

“(It) is really significant for everyone to see her back at the top of the game.”