Emma Raducanu risks being unranked going into the US Open after she was knocked out of the Canadian Open earlier this week.
The British star was hoping to perform well in Montreal in an attempt to gain enough points to be ranked in the top 32 at Flushing Meadows - as she aims to recreate her 2021 triumph.
Raducanu became the first player, male or female, to win a Grand Slam in the Open era as a qualifier when she won the US Open in 2021.
She lifted the trophy in New York without losing a single set, becoming the first woman to do so since Serena Williams in 2014.
Emma Raducanu is in danger of being unseeded for the US Open
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Only the top 32 players in the WTA rankings receive seeded positions at the US Open, ensuring they avoid facing other top seeds in the early rounds of the tournament.
Raducanu sat in 33rd place going into the Canadian Open, after an impressive run to the semi-finals at the Citi Open earlier this month.
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However, she was unable to follow that up in Montreal, she exited in the third round after losing out to Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday.
As a result, Raducanu has fallen all the way to 38th in the rankings, putting a lot of pressure on the 22-year-old to perform well at the upcoming WTA 1000 event.
Emma Raducanu was beaten by Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova
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In order for Raducanu to gain a seeding for the US Open, it is vital that she performs well at the Cincinnati Open.
The 22-year-old would require a run to at least round 16 in Cincinnati to have a chance of gaining a seeding; the result would bag her 120 points, and if she makes it to the quarter-finals, she would bag 215 points.
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Although it may be a challenging task for the Briton, one advantage she has is that she holds no ranking points to defend before the US Open, since she didn’t compete in any tournaments ahead of the Grand Slam last year.
She is also able to earn points to help towards her seeding in either the WTA 250 tour event in Cleveland or the WTA 500 tournament in Monterey in the week prior to the US Open in her final push for a seeding heading into Flushing Meadows.
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz will team up for the revamped doubles event at the US Open
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The US Open will get underway at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in New York on August 25.
Singles action will run until September 7, with the men’s final scheduled for that date, with Raducanu’s highly anticipated partnership with Carlos Alcaraz set to take place across August 19 and 20.