Emma Raducanu granted place in main draw of Australian Open

Emma Raducanu has secured a place in the main draw of this year's Australian Open after American Lauren Davis withdrew from the tournament due to injury.

An injury-marred 2023, which saw Raducanu's WTA ranking drop to 308, had prevented her from receiving an automatic berth in this year's inaugural Grand Slam.

The former British number 1 was due to enter the qualifying draw, but thanks to her protected ranking (one rank before an injury of at least six months) of 103, she was able to replace Davis in the main draw.

The 21-year-old, who underwent operations on both hands and her ankle last year, marked her return to the tour after an eight-month absence on Tuesday with a 6-3 4-6 7-5 victory over Elena. Gabriela Ruse at the Auckland Classic. She will face second seed Elina Svitolina on Thursday.

Raducanu burst onto the scene in 2021 with her US Open triumph which made her the first player to win a major title after making it through the qualifying rounds. In 2022, she reached a career-high ranking of 10th.

The Australian Open begins on January 14.