Emma Raducanu Faces Former Wimbledon Champ in Abu Dhabi Open

Emma Raducanu faces Marketa Vondrousova in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open.

Emma Raducanu of Great Britain reacts during her tennis match. / IMAGO / AAP

Emma Raducanu received good news over the weekend. The 22-year-old initially entered the qualifying competition for the 2025 Abu Dhabi Open but was promoted to the main draw as a wildcard just hours before her scheduled match on Saturday.

However, Raducanu will face a tough opponent in the first round of the main draw. The former US Open champion will face a former Wimbledon champion in Marketa Vondrousova.

Entering the match, Raducanu and Vondrousova faced off twice, and their head-to-head is currently tied 1-1. Raducanu picked up her win in the Round of 64 at Wimbledon in 2021 before Vondrousova won the Billie Jean King Cup match in 2022.

First sighting of Emma in Abu Dhabi ☀️

🎥 @MubadalaADOpen 🇦🇪🐪 pic.twitter.com/63B42aU8bJ

— Emma Raducanu Fans (@RaducanuNews) February 1, 2025

MORE: Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi.

Currently, Raducanu is the WTA World No. 56 with a singles record of 2-1. She pulled out of the Auckland Open due to a back injury. She then picked up two wins at the Australian Open before suffering a decisive loss to Iga Swiatek.

Vondrousova is the World No. 36 with a record of 1-1. She missed the second half of the 2024 season due to a hand injury and is still battling injuries in 2025. The 25-year-old retired during the second round of the Adelaide International and withdrew from the Australian Open.

She’s back & with a win 💫

In just under 3 hours @VondrousovaM defeats Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2!#AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/QLxwmdP2b7

— wta (@WTA) January 6, 2025

Raducanu and Vondrousova are scheduled to play in the Round of 32 at 9:00 a.m. EST on Monday, February 3. Viewers in the United States can watch the match on the Tennis Channel.

The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open runs from February 3-8, 2025. It will be played on the indoor hard courts in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

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