Emma Raducanu's story in the tennis world is one that has captivated fans and experts alike. Her rise and fall, and subsequent rise again, have been marked by various challenges and decisions. In this article, we will delve deep into her turning point and explore the fairness of tennis wildcards.

Unraveling the Tale of Emma Raducanu and Tennis Wildcards

Emma Raducanu's 2024: From Injury to Recovery

Emma Raducanu started 2024 ranked a lowly world No. 301 due to an injury-ravaged 2023. However, her 'special' ranking and occasional wildcards allowed her to compete at most events while taking breaks. Her current ranking stands at No. 57. "One thing with the WTA is we're pretty much made to play the events when we're in a certain ranking. Where my ranking was and is at, I didn't have to play every single event," she told reporters. Raducanu added that the pressure of playing every tournament is not only physical but also affects scheduling. "Having a mulligan to not play a tournament would be a really good addition," she said.

The Demands of the WTA and Player Well-being

This year, a major discussion point has been the increased number of mandatory events by the WTA. These include all Grand Slams, WTA 1000 events, and six 500-level tournaments for high-ranked players. World No. 2 Iga Swiatek lost the top spot in October after not playing enough 500-level events. "It's not going to end well, and it makes tennis less fun for us, let's just say," Swiatek said. Raducanu, who missed the Asian hard-court swing with a foot injury in September, found that the time away was beneficial. She went to see her grandmother in China, which became a turning point. "I was playing the piano, painting. Exploring my artistic side a bit. It just got me thinking. That final foot injury just had me saying, 'I want to stay healthy next year.' That was probably a big moment where I wanted to spend more time and energy on my fitness."

Planning Holistically for 2025

For the 2025 season, Raducanu brought on fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura. She wants to plan her events "holistically" after realizing her previous scheduling was too short-sighted. She asks herself, "What is the best for me this year? What is the main objective? How are we going to build the schedule around the main objective for this year?" Whatever she decides, she wants every decision to link to a deeper reason.

The Fairness of Tennis Wildcards

With the increasing prize money for just making the first round of a Grand Slam approaching $100,000, the process of handing out wildcard entries at Grand Slams needs reconsideration. It has always been unfair to young players from non-host countries. Tennis Australia released its wildcards for next month's Australian Open, and while some entries were justifiable, others raised questions. Stan Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion ranked 161, got a wildcard despite a first-round loss at the U.S. Open. Other men like Tristan Schoolkate (ranked 168), Li Tu (ranked 174), and James McCabe (ranked 256) also received wildcards. On the women's side, Daria Saville (No. 108) and Ajla Tomljanovic (No. 109) are defensible, but others like Maya Joint (No. 116), Emerson Jones (No. 375), and Talia Gibson (No. 140) have less convincing cases. Grand Slams should consider reducing the number of home-country free passes to make the competitions tougher.

The Non-existent Off-season in Tennis

Players often complain about the off-season, but in reality, there isn't one. Ben Shelton took only four days off, and Carlos Alcaraz didn't touch his rackets for 10 days. Players competing in the United Cup have to be in Australia on Christmas Eve, with only eight days to get there. Many top players like Taylor Fritz are heading to Abu Dhabi for the World Tennis League exhibition. Fritz played his last 2024 match on November 20 and squeezed in a 10-day fitness block in Florida and a 10-day on-court camp in L.A. The off-days are few and far between.Recommended reading:Joao Lucas Reis da Silva, the first active male professional tennis player to come out publicly, was just posting a selfie.ATP Next Gen Finals: Everything to knowAfter a year of doping controversy and officiating confusion, what next?The winners of the weekWTA:Viktorija Golubic (No. 7 seed) def. Celine Naef 7-5, 6-4 to win the Limoges Open (125) in Limoges, France. It is her fourth WTA 125 title.Coming upATPJeddah, Saudi Arabia: ATP Next Gen Finals featuring Arthur Fils, Alex Michelsen, Jakub Mensik, Learner Tien.ExhibitionAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: World Tennis League featuring Iga Swiatek, Daniil Medvedev, Aryna Sabalenka, Nick Kyrgios.Tell us what you noticed this week in the comments below as the men's and women's tours continue.This article originally appeared in The Athletic.Tennis, sports business, Women's Tennis2024 The Athletic Media Company