In the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open Round of 32 on Monday, we have a matchup featuring No. 56-ranked Emma Raducanu against No. 36 Marketa Vondrousova.Vondrousova retired and was not

Emma Raducanu has found solace in classic literature and solo activities as she navigates the "lonely" life on the professional tennis tour. The 22-year-old British player has been reading Jane Austen's "Emma" ahead of her first-round match against 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova at the Abu Dhabi Open.

Emma Raducanu to make immediate return to action after first-round defeat in Singapore; 2021 US Open champion had initially been given qualifying wildcard but was upgraded to main draw; watch Abu Dhab

The Middle East Swing kicks off in earnest this week as Emma Raducanu and Marketa Vondrousova face off in a battle of major champions, while Jelena Ostapenko and Ons Jabeur renew their rivalry and Elena Rybakina begins her title defense against a hungry field.

Marketa Vondrousova faces a tough opening round match against Emma Raducanu in a clash of the two wildcards at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open. The 2023 Wimbledon champion is in the bottom half of the draw and found herself paired with Britain's Raducanu following the draw ceremony at Zayed Sports City on Saturday evening.

Entering the match, Raducanu and Vondrousova faced off twice, and their head-to-head is currently tied 1-1. Raducanu picked up her win in the Round of 64 at Wimbledon in 2021 before Vondrousova won the Billie Jean King Cup match in 2022.

Emma Raducanu has been upgraded from qualifying to the main draw at the Abu Dhabi Open, where she will face 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the first round. The 22-year-old British player had initially been set to compete in qualifying rounds for the first time since her 2021 US Open triumph.