Emma Raducanu tasked with cutting short Serena Williams’ farewell tour in Cincinnati
- Seb Sternik
- 13 August 2022
Britain’s Emma Raducanu will take on Serena Williams for the first time in her career after the pair were drawn together in the first round of the Western and Southern Open.
Earlier this week, the 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams suggested she would retire from the sport, telling Vogue magazine she was "evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me".
Raducanu, who is the defending US Open champion, is gearing up for her return to Flushing Meadows.
The British teenager won the tournament last year as an 18-year-old qualifier - a total of 22 years after Williams won her first Slam in New York at the age of 17.
Williams, who could very well be preparing for her final US Open run, will now take on the Brit for the very first time on the WTA Tour.
The winner of the first-round match will take on either Victoria Azarenka or Kaia Kanepi at the Cincinnati event.
In the men's draw, Rafael Nadal has been handed a bye into the second round.
The Spaniard is expected to make his first appearance since suffering an abdominal tear at Wimbledon which forced him to withdraw before a scheduled semi-final clash with Nick Kyrgios.
British number one Cameron Norrie, on the other hand, will take on Denmark's Holger Rune.
Dan Evans, in contrast, will play Serbia's Filip Krajinovic in his first-round match.
Andy Murray will also be in action as he kicks off his campaign against Japan's Taro Daniel.
