In the ceremony held in Doha on Friday afternoon, Raducanu’s name initially appeared alongside Anna Kalinskaya, the No 14 seed.
The i Paper understands that the confusion arose when the Doha draw was completed by tournament officials, all chips, each one of which represents a player, had been drawn by the tournament director – but there was still an empty line on the 56-line draw sheet due to a human error inputting the names.
Emma Raducanu does not need a new coach - she needs two
Read MoreIt is understood that to preserve the integrity of the draw process, it was decided that all 40 unseeded players should be reallocated. The incorrect draw sheet was never ratified or circulated, although leaked screenshots on social media did cause some confusion.
It is not the first time that the draw system, exact methodology of which varies between tournaments, has hit problems.
The draw was not initially halted and Wimbledon referee Denise Parnell continued drawing chips, causing All England Club staff to miss the next name drawn.
Raducanu goes it alone… ish
Raducanu’s preparation for her now-confirmed first-round opponent will be done in relative isolation. The 22-year-old remains coachless for the moment after parting ways with Nick Cavaday, who had worked with her since November 2023. The British former player has been battling a chronic health condition and could not manage a full schedule of travelling on tour, leading to the split last month.
And The i Paper understands she will be assisted in Doha by Jane O’Donoghue, a former player and coach who now works in banking but is a close family friend and trusted confidante. O’Donoghue has been a peripatetic coach for Raducanu over the last three years, sometimes working alongside Cavaday, or in his place during absences enforced by his illness.
Raducanu will also be able to receive remote support from the Lawn Tennis Association, who will provide strategic and tactical analysis on demand via their team of data scientists based in west London.
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