Raducanu set for January return at United Cup after injury lay-off

Emma Raducanu is set to return to competitive tennis at the United Cup in Australia in the first week of January 2027, after more than six months out with a stress fracture in her shin.

The 23-year-old has not played since losing the final at Queen’s Club on 14 June. She withdrew from Wimbledon shortly before her first match and also missed the US Open.

Raducanu will play alongside Arthur Fery for Britain, who face Australia and France in their group in Sydney. The mixed-team tournament runs from 1 to 10 January and features 18 countries.

The timing also allows Raducanu to use a special ranking of 38 to enter tournaments next year. Her current ranking is 107, which would likely be too low for direct entry to the Australian Open and many other WTA Tour events. The special ranking guarantees her entry to the Melbourne main draw and several major events in February and March, including WTA 1000 tournaments in Doha, Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami.

Raducanu was approved for the special ranking shortly before the United Cup entry deadline. It is available to players who have been out injured for at least six months and, in her case, is based on her ranking after Wimbledon.

She began a gradual return to training in September. The BBC reports that she may not play an exhibition event before the end of the year, leaving the United Cup as her first expected competitive outing since June.