How Emma Raducanu can benefit from a little-known WTA rule ahead of latest comeback
US Open 2021 champion Emma Raducanu has been sidelined with injury since June; however, a little-known WTA rule could see the star return to her pre-injury rank of world No. 31.
The WTA star, a one-time Grand Slam champion, has fallen out of the top-100, but Raducanu could benefit from an obscure rule, if her injury persists until the Tour’s season ends in 2026.
The Englishwoman reached the final at Queen’s in June, where she lost to Donna Vekic, then missed Wimbledon; her sidelining, through a right leg stress fracture, has continued since.
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How Emma Raducanu can return to pre-injury rank in 2027 on WTA Tour
The 22-year-old, the first player in Open Era history to win a Grand Slam event as a qualifier, is currently world No.107, and has fallen to third behind Katie Boulter and Fran Jones in the British rankings.
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However, should the 2021 US Open champion cut her season short, and not play again until 2027, the Englishman would benefit from a protected WTA ranking.
By being sidelined for six months through injury, Raducanu, who is in danger of failing to qualify for many WTA events next season as the world No.107, can request a special ranking from the Tour.
As a result, she would return to world No.31 - her ranking at the time of injury. The 22-year-old would then be eligible for a protected ranking in January 2027.
Raducanu was initially slated to appear at the China Open, appearing on the entry list, then withdrew. Before the end-of-year WTA Finals, there are six remaining Tour events that the Englishwoman could participate in.
Should the 22-year-old play in any of Ningbo, Osaka, Tokyo, Guangzhou, Chennai or Hong Kong, by applying for a wildcard, then she would not be eligible in January, and remain at world No.107.
How would Emma Raducanu’s protected ranking work?
By missing six months on the WTA Tour through injury, Raducanu would return to world No. 31, and be allowed to enter up to eight tournaments, and a maximum of two Grand Slam tournaments, when she returns in 2027.
Protected rankings allow players like Raducanu, that have been sidelined for prolonged periods, to enter the main draws or qualifying stages of Grand Slam events, based on their previous standings.
Entry to Slam main draws is determined by world rankings, with a cutoff at around world No. 100. In the Englishwoman’s case, her current ranking as world No.107 would not guarantee her Slam entry.
Protected rankings allow players whose ranking plummeted during their lay-off to enter Major draws; however, they cannot obtain seeding for Slam events.
That means that Raducanu, if she does qualify for protected ranking, is likely to face top players at earlier stages in the Grand Slam events she enters.
Should the 22-year-old wish to obtain protected ranking, she would have to petition the WTA, after having been sidelined for a minimum six-month period through physical injury by January 2027.
As Raducanu’s current injury woes began in June 2026, should she avoid playing in any of the WTA Tour’s end-of-year events, the Englishwoman will be eligible.
Her stress fracture has the potential to cause long-term damage if poorly managed, or if the 22-year-old returns to WTA action too early; staying away from tennis could be in Raducanu’s best interests.
If she does decide to petition the Tour’s governing body, long-time fans of the Englishwoman, once a US Open champion with a career-best ranking at world No.10, could see her in Slam events in 2027, despite her current position as world No.107.
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Topics: Emma Raducanu
Kedar Bayley