Emma Raducanu set for daunting draw as Naomi Osaka prepares to form

Wildcard entrants Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu will face a daunting task as they prepare to return to action in the WTA 500 tournament in Abu Dhabi, with some of the biggest names in the women’s game also in the draw.

Osaka looked in good form as she returned to the court after giving birth to her first child, with her defeat in Melbourne coming in a high-quality match against French star Caroline Garcia.

Now it has been confirmed that Osaka will not only play singles in Abu Dhabi but she will team up with Ons Jabeur in what is certain to be an exciting doubles pairing.

Meanwhile, 2021 US Open champion Raducanu made an encouraging return to WTA Tour action in New Zealand last month and then won a round at the Australian Open on her return to action after double wrist and ankle surgery last year.

Now Raducanu is preparing to take the next step in her comeback and she is certain to face a challenging task as she plays at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.

The top seed at the event will be world No 3 Elena Rybakina, while two-time Wimbledon finalist Jabeur will also be looking to kick-start her 2024 season.

Greece’s Maria Sakkari will be hopeful of making progress in Abu Dhabi, with Czech Republic star Barbora Krejcikova, Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia and former world No 4 Caroline Garcia also competing in Abu Dhabi.

There has been a boost in prize money for this event from 2023, with 500 WTA ranking points and $142,000 going to the eventual champion, which is $20,000 more than Belinda Bencic collected as she won the event last year. The runner-up will claim $87,655 and 325 points.