Emma Raducanu Faces Another Early Exit, Raising Questions Over Wildcard Entries
Emma Raducanu’s struggles continued as she exited in the first round of the Qatar Open, marking her third early exit of the 2025 season. The British No. 1, who has been trying to regain form after a difficult 2024 season, fell to Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5. Her recent run of poor performances has drawn significant criticism from fans, particularly regarding the number of wildcard entries she continues to receive.
Raducanu’s return to the WTA Tour after wrist and ankle surgery in early 2024 has been challenging. After a third-round loss to Iga Świątek at the Australian Open, she suffered early eliminations in the Singapore Open and Abu Dhabi Open. The pattern continued in Doha, where she was granted a wildcard but failed to capitalize. Many fans questioned why she was given entry over other players, particularly Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic, who recently won the Abu Dhabi Open after a long hiatus due to maternity leave.
Ekaterina Alexandrova d. Emma Raducanu 6-3 7-5 in Doha
Drova keeps rolling.
After winning the title in Linz last week, she’s now won her last 5 matches.
She lost to Emma at the Australian Open last month, so this was a bit of revenge.
Striking the ball excellently. pic.twitter.com/8dmr1JdY2C
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 9, 2025
Since her comeback in January 2024, Raducanu has received 12 wildcards into major tournaments, including Indian Wells, the Madrid Open, the Nottingham Open, and Wimbledon. While some argue her 2021 US Open victory justifies these opportunities, others believe her form does not warrant such preferential treatment.
The backlash has been particularly intense on social media, with some fans suggesting she should focus more on her game rather than off-court activities, such as modeling and sponsorships. Others have even questioned whether she should consider retirement, given her struggles to recapture the level that once made her one of the sport’s rising stars.
At just 22 years old, Raducanu still has time to turn things around, but with mounting scrutiny, she will need to deliver stronger performances soon to silence the doubters and justify her continued presence in high-profile tournaments.