Emma Raducanu has taken a wildcard into qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Open, as she looks to make good on her resolution to play more events in 2025.

The 22-year-old lost in the first round in Singapore on Monday, a three-hour battle against Spaniard Cristina Busca, and will now head straight to the UAE.

Last season Raducanu played only 13 tournaments - fewer than all but two of the top 100 - and is determined to play more of a full schedule this season. Another feature of Raducanu's 2024 was an apparent reluctance to enter qualifying events - the French Open being the most high-profile and controversial example.

So this decision to go straight from one event to another is an encouraging sign that Raducanu is ready to embrace the full-on grind of the professional tour. 

Her biggest step in this direction has been the hiring of Maria Sharapova's former fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura. While last season Raducanu would often head back to London for fitness and training blocks now, under Nakamura, she is determined to stay on the treadmill and build fitness within and between events.

'I want to play more than I did this year,' said Raducanu in pre-season. 'Now with my setup, I'm in a place where I can continue work on the road, so I don't necessarily need to come back to continue good physical work.'

Raducanu remains coachless after Nick Cavaday stepped away for health reasons, with Nakamura currently her only travelling team member.

Meanwhile, Jack Draper has pulled out of the Rotterdam Open as he continues to recover from tendonitis in the hip. The British No 1 has been struggling with the injury since pre-season and was forced to retire from his fourth-round match against Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open.

He is targeting the Qatar Open in Doha for his comeback event. Other news from the Draper camp is that he has been working with strength and conditioning coach Matt Little for the last couple of months. 

Little formerly worked with Andy Murray and was the man responsible for the Scot's infamously brutal pre-season training camps. He also works with British No 1 Katie Boulter.