Emma Raducanu is a global tennis icon and a true superstar of British tennis – she next plays at the Korea Open live on Sky Sports Tennis on September 17 after a disappointing US Open.

The tennis world was absolutely stunned when Raducanu romped her way to success in New York three years ago, without dropping a set during the tournament, as a precocious teenager.

The Brit may have struggled to recapture that level of form consistently, but she is next in action at the Korea Open in Seoul vs American Peyton Stearns, live on Sky Sports Tennis on Tuesday September 17.

Raducanu’s journey has been rocked by injuries and setbacks but she still has a long bright future ahead of her.

Raducanu may be competing but world No. 1 Iga Swiatek has pulled out, citing fatigue.

The five-time Grand Slam winner from Poland is one of five current or former Top 10 players who have withdrawn, along with defending champion Jessica Pegula, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (back injury), US Open semifinalist Emma Navarro (change of schedule) and 2014 champion Karolina Pliskova (foot injury).

As a result of those four withdrawals, along with no Special Exempt place being used, Raducanu was one of five players to move directly into the main draw.

Here are all the key current questions after the Brit’s latest tilt at glory over in the United States…

How did Raducanu fare at this year’s US Open?

Raducanu was knocked out in the opening round of the US Open by Sofia Kenin in a battle of former Grand Slam champions in New York.

The USA’s Kenin had previously won the Australian Open. She sent Raducanu packing with a 6-1 3-6 6-4 victory.

Kenin ripped through the opening set by winning six straight games before Raducanu upped her level in the second set.

However, Raducanu ran out of steam, dropping serve with a double fault in the fifth game of the decider as she was broken and there was no way back from there as Kenin clinically saw it out.

What did Raducanu say?

Raducanu said: “I feel down, I feel sad. Obviously, this is a tournament I really want to do well in so… after the first set I was outplayed completely and I think I did well to equal it.

“The third set was pretty high-level tennis and I think certain parts of my game in dealing with her speed of shot, dealing with her pace, certain parts I actually executed better than in previous matches.

“I came across a very in-form opponent, and she played really well.”

How has Raducanu performed in 2024?

The 2021 US Open champion has had broadly positive results since returning from an eight-month injury layoff last year, after closing down her 2023 season early following a first-round exit in Stuttgart.

Raducanu helped steer Great Britain to a spot in the Billie Jean King Cup finals as they beat home favourites France on clay, and carried on that form into the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart in April.

She lost to world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals – a rematch from the same stage two years ago, and her best performance this year. She also beat former two-time Stuttgart champion and three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber in the opening round.

It has not been all plain sailing, though, for the 21-year-old since her return to the WTA Tour. She failed to win any back-to-back matches until reaching the third round of Indian Wells.

There were impressive moments though, with her victory over Marie Bouzkova in Abu Dhabi before being denied a spot in the quarter-finals by Ons Jabeur, probably standing out as the real high point.

On grass this summer, Raducanu was impressive, reaching the semi-final in Nottingham where she was beaten by fellow Brit Katie Boulter before defeating Sloane Stephens and second seed Jessica Pegula in Eastbourne.

She then delivered the most promising tennis yet of her comeback by making it to the round of 16 at Wimbledon following standout wins over Elise Mertens and ninth seed Maria Sakkari, before being halted by qualifier Lulu Sun.

At the Citi Open in Washington D.C., Raducanu narrowly missed out on a semi-final spot after losing to Paula Badosa in a mammoth three-set match which lasted just under three hours, having dispatched eighth seed Mertens earlier in the tournament.

Have injuries affected Emma Raducanu this season?

Unfortunately, during the 2024 season, injury concerns have returned again at times too – notably at the Miami Open, with Raducanu forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a lower back injury after being awarded a wildcard for the event.

Raducanu was also hampered by a stomach bug during her loss at the first major of the year, the Australian Open, but her tennis was encouraging and she stepped up her comeback with victory over Bouzkova in Abu Dhabi thereafter.

Raducanu sat out the second major of the year, withdrawing just 24 hours before French Open qualifying was due to begin, in a bid to give herself a “chance to keep fit for the rest of the year.”

Sadly, that did not go entirely to plan. An untimely slip on the Centre Court grass stopped all of Raducanu’s momentum as she was putting together an impressive run at Wimbledon.

In the first game of the deciding set of her last-16 clash with Lulu Sun, Raducanu lost her footing whilst sliding for a forehand, then had to call on the trainer. Raducanu received treatment on her lower left leg and the middle of her back – which appeared to be bothering her throughout the match – and although she saw out the match, slumped to defeat just as she seemed to be finding her best form.

Having recovered from surgeries in 2023, Raducanu continued to manage injury risk, deciding against representing Team GB at the Paris Olympics because she did not want to switch back to playing on clay at Roland Garros ahead of the hard court tournaments in the USA.

My main goal is to stay healthy injury-wise, sickness-wise. Also another goal is consistency.

What is Emma Raducanu’s current ranking?

Raducanu is currently ranked No 72 in the world, some 39 places behind current British No 1 Katie Boulter, and just six places ahead of Harriet Dart.

Although it is some way off her career-high ranking of 10, which she held back in July 2022, it is worth noting that Raducanu has played in just 11 WTA Tour events, compared to 21 for Boulter and 32 for Dart during the calendar year so far.

How many Grand Slam titles has Raducanu won?

So far, the 2021 US Open victory remains Emma Raducanu’s sole victory in a major tournament.

She also reached the fourth round in Wimbledon that year, a feat she matched this year – and which she might have bettered on a different day vs Sun.

At the Australian and French Open, she has never progressed past the second round.

Watch the WTA and ATP Tours throughout 2024 on Sky Sports Tennis

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