Emma Raducanu has received a pretty solid Washington draw despite drawing a seed in her opening match as the British tennis star plays No. 8 seed Elise Mertens in the first round.
After a very positive Wimbledon run, Raducanu is set to kick off her summer on hard courts in the United States capital as a wildcard.
And in her opening match, she starts against Mertens, whom she dismantled 6-1 6-2 in the Wimbledon second round just 25 days ago. On paper, drawing a seed in the first round is not the ideal scenario. But considering that Raducanu earlier this month absolutely annihilated Mertens, it is safe to say that is a favorable matchup and that the Briton can be considered the favorite.
If Raducanu beats Mertens, she will probably play next against world No. 53 Peyton Stearns. Then, Raducanu could possibly take on No. 3 seed Liudmila Samsonova – in what would be a rematch of the 2022 Washington quarterfinal.
Should Raducanu make it to the semifinal, her projected opponent there is second-seeded Daria Kasatkina. And if the 2021 US Open champion comes out of her part of the draw, she could take on either No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka or fourth-seeded Ons Jabeur in the final.
Two years ago, Raducanu…
