Emma Raducanu confirms first competitive appearance of the year in UK next month

Emma Raducanu will play in front of a British crowd at the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham next month.

It is set to be a first competitive appearance in her home country for the 19-year-old since her remarkable US Open triumph.

Raducanu’s only previous WTA Tour event in Britain was in Nottingham last summer prior to her big breakthrough at Wimbledon.

The teenager said: “I can’t wait to play in Britain again and I’m delighted to be competing at the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham in the 40th year of this terrific showcase for women’s tennis.

“It will be great to get back on to the grass at home, where the backing of the British fans was so fantastic.”

Raducanu’s presence in the draw will certainly be welcome news for tournament organisers, with the event, which runs from June 13-19, having been downgraded and facing competition for players from the higher-tier concurrent tournament in Berlin.

The world number 12 has been showing encouraging form on clay and will compete this week at the Italian Open in Rome, where she plays fellow New York champion Bianca Andreescu in the first round.

Raducanu is continuing to travel without a full-time coach following her split from Torben Beltz and is again being supported in the Italian capital by the Lawn Tennis Association’s head of women’s tennis, Iain Bates.

She said: “I’d describe myself as a loner. I do like being on my own, but of course I love being in groups as well. I can easily and very happily spend a lot of time on my own. I think it’s something that is off court as well as on court.

“For the past year I’d say I’ve had a lot of people around me a lot and very often. To be kind of on my own is interesting because I’m kind of finding out a lot about myself, understanding what I need and what I don’t need.”