Emma Raducanu will play at the Kooyong Classic exhibition event ahead of the start of the Australian Open on Sunday January 16.
Having been out for nine months due to surgeries on both wrists and to her left ankle, Raducanu made her return this month at the Auckland Classic.
After marking her return with victory against Elena-Gabriela Ruse, Raducanu was denied a quarter-final place by second seed Elina Svitolina.
Raducanu won the opening set, producing the sort of stunning form she showed on her way to winning the US Open as a qualifier in 2021, but could not close out the match in a second-set tiebreak, before Svitolina’s superior conditioning told in a one-sided decider.
The 21-year-old says her comeback performances after a long injury layoff have given her “a lot of confidence” and that there is “a lot more to come” as she prepares for the Australian Open.
“I think I can take away that my level was pretty high for two sets, two long sets which lasted like two hours and 15 minutes,” she said.
“I’m pretty proud of how quickly I was able to get my level up to be able to compete with Elina.
“I think that she gives you nothing. You really have to win the match and win the sets and I think I did that really well in the first set and then in the second set I had a few chances in the breaker. I did the exact same, I went for my shots, which got me the first set, but I just missed them, so that was it.”
Svitolina, who ended 2023 as one of the form players on the tour having returned to action after giving birth, compared the level of the contest to her stunning quarter-final victory over world No 1 Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon last year.
“I’m pretty pleased that she compared it to that,” Raducanu said. “I know it’s the start of a very long season for me and I’m looking forward to reflecting on the year and having this as a starting point.
“Of course it does (give me confidence).
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Highlights of Raducanu’s victory against Elena-Gabriela Ruse at the Auckland Classic
“With the limited time I’ve had in comparison to her, and in the gym, she’s been around a long time and achieved so much and I think she’s known on tour as one of the physically best players out there and end of second set and third set I don’t think I really saw a second serve, so she really raised it when it mattered.
“But it for sure gives me a lot of confidence and looking forward to in time with more matches, more practice, more gym sessions, seeing where I can go from there.”
During her time in Auckland, Raducanu received the significant boost of being promoted from the qualifying to the main draw at the Australian Open following withdrawals by other players.
“I’m looking forward to this season, it’s just the beginning. It’s week one – a lot more to come.”
