Emma Raducanu locks in Kooyong Classic preparation for Aus Open

An incident late in her last match raised alarm bells but a grand slam winner has finalised a busy schedule ahead of the Aus Open.

Emma Raducanu is a confirmed starter at the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament beginning on Wednesday. Picture: Hannah Peters / Getty Images

US Open champion Emma Raducanu will play at the Kooyong Classic as she builds towards her first grand slam appearance since an ankle injury ruined her previous Australian Open.

The 21-year-old British star was forced to miss three consecutive majors last year as she recovered from surgery on her ankle and both wrists, but was granted direct entry into the main draw at Melbourne Park after American Lauren Davis withdrew with a shoulder injury last week.

Raducanu, who broke into the top 10 in 2022 but returned to Australia this month as the world No. 301, had sat just outside the list of direct entrants with an injury-protected ranking of 103 before Davis’ withdrawal.

Emma Raducanu, who won the US Open as an 18-year-old, will play in the Kooyong Classic after she faces Naomi Osaka in a charity match on Tuesday night. Picture: Hannah Peters / Getty Images

She will take on fellow returning star Naomi Osaka in a charity match at Melbourne Park on Tuesday night before taking the court on Wednesday or Thursday at Kooyong, with Russian teen prodigy Mirra Andreeva the only other confirmed entrant in the women’s draw at the exhibition tournament.

It comes after Raducanu impressed in her two matches at the ASB Classic in Auckland but clutched at her lower back during the third set of her loss to Elina Svitolina, appearing to tire as she went down 6-1 after the first two sets went to tiebreaks.

The 2021 US Open winner did not appear troubled by her wrists, which had both required surgery to remove small bone growths which had been causing pain.

Andy Murray will face Marin Cilic on the opening day of the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament on Wednesday. Picture: Graham Denholm / Getty Images

Kooyong will feature a star-studded men’s field including Jannik Sinner (world No. 4), Holger Rune (No. 9) and Casper Ruud (No. 11), as well as veterans Andy Murray, Marin Cilic, Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Thiem.

Murray will meet Cilic on Wednesday, while Australian Marc Polmans will take on Sinner.

Tournament director Peter Johnston said the tournament would be an “extraordinary showcase” of the world’s best in an “intimate setting”.

“Sir Andy, Milos Raonic, Casper Ruud and Marc Polmans are all great additions to a field that is shaping as one of the best we have ever seen at the club,” Johnston said.

“We have so many crowd favourites competing and I’m sure we are going to see some brilliant tennis.”

At least six more female entrants are expected to be announced on Tuesday ahead of the three-day tournament which begins Wednesday.