Emma Raducanu has pulled out of French Open qualifying which is set to take place from Monday.
Raducanu appeared on the qualifying entry list for the Open on Saturday but has now been removed. There has not been a reason given for her withdrawal.
Without taking part in qualifying, she would need three players to pull out from the main draw to gain a place at Roland Garros.
Ranked 221st in the world, Raducanu removed herself from the list on Saturday. Qualifying begins at 9am UK time on Monday.
The 21-year-old has a protected ranking of 103rd due to surgery she had on her wrist and ankle in 2023, but it’s not high enough to earn her an automatic spot in the main draw.
Raducanu, 21, missed out on a wild card for the tournament with organisers favouring French players.
She has not played competitive tennis since her first-round loss at the Madrid Open where she suffered a first round straight-sets defeat to Maria Lourdes Carle.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of Emma Raducanu’s first-round defeat against Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carle at the Madrid Open
Raducanu on criticism and gender pay gap
In a recent interview with The Times, Raducanu spoke about receiving criticism about her off-court commitments.
“There are those who see me doing a shoot or posing for a commercial and they don’t see the seven hours before that at the training centre, doing physio, gym, hitting balls. But if on a rare evening I go to a premiere and I get photographed, that’s my downtime.”
The Brit also spoke about the gender pay gap on tour, saying female players are underappreciated.
Iga Swiatek will receive less in prize money than her male counterpart in Rome
The Italian Open being played in Rome this week is offering £550,000 to its female champion, compared to around £750,000 to the winner of the men’s tournament.
“A lot of women’s players are technically better,” she said. “They rely on speed, agility and brain rather than brute strength. The prize money gap is huge on the ATP tour, which I don’t necessarily think is fair, but equally playing three sets in the slams is a lot better than the men’s five, which is brutal.”
Qualifying starts on Monday and the French Open begins on Sunday, May 26.
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Find out all the ways to watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the US Open, ATP and WTA tours
You can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the clay-court season.
- Geneva Open (ATP 250 with Andy Murray & Novak Djokovic in action) – May 20-25
- Lyon Open (ATP 250) – May 20-25
- Internationaux de Strasbourg (WTA 500) – May 20-25
- Morocco Open (WTA 250) – May 20-25
Watch the WTA and ATP Tours throughout 2024 on Sky Sports Tennis. Stream Sky Sports Tennis and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.
