Former US Open champions Emma Raducanu and Dominic Thiem are notable participants in the qualifying rounds of the 2024 Australian Open. Both players, despite their previous Grand Slam victories, will need to successfully navigate the qualifiers to secure a spot in the main round.
In her last Grand Slam qualifier, Raducanu emerged victorious and went on to clinch the US Open title by defeating Canada's Leylah Fernandez in the final. The 21-year-old holds the distinction of being the only player in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles title after starting in the qualifying round.
Emma fell short of a direct entry by five spots and, with a special ranking of No. 103, will participate in the qualifying rounds. Although she achieved a top-10 position in the WTA rankings in July 2022, ongoing injury concerns in recent months have impacted her standings.
The 21-year-old fell short of a direct entry by five spots and, with a special ranking of No. 103, will participate in the qualifying rounds. Although she achieved a top-10 position in the WTA rankings in July 2022, ongoing injury concerns in recent months have impacted her standings.
Emma, presently holding the 299th position in the world rankings, has been sidelined since April and underwent surgery on both her wrists and ankle.
On the other hand, Dominic Thiem narrowly missed a direct entry by just one spot. The former World No.3 has faced challenges related to wrist injuries and will enter the qualifying round as the top seed.
Having emerged victorious in four of his last six matches, Thiem notably secured a win against three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka in the Paris Masters.
Alina Korneeva, the reigning Australian Open girls' singles champion, is among the participants in the qualifiers.
The upcoming Australian Open will mark the comeback of the legendary Rafael Nadal, scheduled to return at the Brisbane International. Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber will also return to competitive tennis after taking a break from parenthood.
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