Emma Raducanu’s Australian Open preparation hampered by COVID-19 isolation as US Open winner withdraws from warm-up tournament| Today Headlines

Emma Raducanu has pulled out of the first WTA event of 2022 as she continues to recover from the coronavirus.

Raducanu tested positive for COVID-19 just before Christmas and this hampered his preparations for the Australian Open.

The 19-year-old was scheduled to play in the Melbourne Summer Set, a warm-up event for the Grand Slam event in Australia, but it came too soon after COVID.

Instead, she will only compete in the Sydney Classic before making her Australian Open debut.

Raducanu said: “The time to compete in the first Melbourne event this week is too early for me, I have just returned from isolation.”

The Bromley teenager burst onto the scene in 2021 in stunning style.

She remarkably won the US Open in September, becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam and the first British woman in 44 years to win a major title.

It’s been a whirlwind of several months for her with many sponsorship deals and awards to come.

She was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year while isolated in December, while she was also named MBE in the New Year’s Honors list.

Raducanu is currently ranked 19th in the world and this will be the first time she has played a Grand Slam without needing a wildcard or qualifying.

The Australian Open kicks off January 17 in Melbourne.