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Emma Raducanu discovers Wimbledon fate as 14 wild cards announced

Wimbledon wild cards announced as Raducanu, Osaka discover fate
© Reuters
Emma Raducanu is awarded a wild card into the Wimbledon women's singles main draw, while Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki headline the other entries.

Former British number one Emma Raducanu has been awarded a wild card into the Wimbledon main draw, one of 14 players to earn a golden ticket to the first round.

The 2021 US Open champion - who missed SW19 last year due to her wrist and ankle operations - has been on the comeback trail since skipping the French Open in order to prioritise the grass-court season and reached the Nottingham Open semi-finals last week.

Raducanu was denied just her second top-level final by defending champion Katie Boulter, but she improved her ranking to 165 and has been announced as one of seven women's wild cards for the Wimbledon main draw.

The 21-year-old enjoyed a memorable run to the fourth round in the 2021 tournament - which was her maiden appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam - before having to retire from her match against Alja Tomljanovic due to breathing difficulties.

Raducanu subsequently lost in the second round of the 2022 edition to Caroline Garcia but will be making her highly-anticipated SW19 comeback next month, where three other former Grand Slam winners will join her as wild cards.

Naomi Osaka in action at the French Open on May 26, 2024© Reuters

Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki also given wild cards

Caroline Wozniacki - the 2018 Australian Open champion - has also been awarded a route to the main draw after being snubbed for a French Open wild card, a decision which was met with scathing criticism.

The 33-year-old - who came out of retirement last year - is currently ranked 114th in the world and began her grass-court campaign on Tuesday, losing to Elise Mertens in straight sets in Birmingham.

In addition, four-time major winner Naomi Osaka will be competing in the main draw as a wild card, ending her five-year absence from the tournament since her first-round exit in the 2019 edition.

The Japanese sits one place higher than Wozniacki in the WTA rankings at 113 and lost to Qinwen Zheng in Berlin on Monday, although she was the only player to take a set off of Iga Swiatek during the world number one's run to French Open glory.

Liam Broady headlines men's wild cards

Liam Broady reacts at Wimbledon on July 6, 2023© Reuters

Also entering as a Wimbledon wild card is Angelique Kerber, the 2018 women's singles champion, alongside Raducanu's three compatriots Heather Watson, Francesca Jones and Yuriko Miyazaki.

In the men's singles draw, all seven wild cards are home favourites, including Liam Broady, who reached the third round of last year's event with a shock win over Casper Ruud before losing to Denis Shapovalov.

After winning the boys' singles title at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, 18-year-old Henry Searle is set for his senior Grand Slam debut, while Paul Jubb - who took Nick Kyrgios to five sets in 2022 - returns.

Jan Choinski, Billy Harris, Arthur Fery and Jacob Fearnley complete the men's wild cards for Wimbledon, for which the draw will take place on Friday, June 28, before the tournament commences on July 1.

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Ben Knapton

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