Britain's Emma Raducanu has accepted a wildcard for the WTA 500 event in Strasbourg as her final preparation before the French Open.
The British number two has climbed to world No.42 in the live rankings after an impressive run at the Italian Open.
Raducanu will make her debut at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, which begins on Sunday in Alsace.
The tournament announced the news on Tuesday, posting: "A new Grand Slam champion will step on to the clay courts of the #IS25: Emma RADUCANU!"
Emma Raducanu has accepted a wildcard for the WTA 500 event in Strasbourg
Reuters
The 22-year-old won three consecutive clay-court matches for the first time in her career at the Italian Open.
Her impressive run in Rome came to an end on Monday with a 6-1 6-2 defeat by world number three Coco Gauff in the last 16.
It had been thought that the Italian Open would be Raducanu's final tournament before heading to Roland Garros.
The 2021 US Open champion has shown promising form on clay, a surface where British players have traditionally struggled.
Following her defeat to Gauff, Raducanu expressed her eagerness to continue competing rather than taking a break.
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"I would love to just keep improving, keep playing. I think that's a positive for me," she told Sky Sports.
"I don't want to go and hide in a hole somewhere, I want to get back out there, so that's good."
Her determination to gain more match experience before the French Open highlights the fighting spirit that has endeared her to British tennis fans.
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Emma Raducanu was thrashed by Coco Gauff on Monday to crash out of the Italian Open
Reuters
The Strasbourg tournament boasts an impressive field, with top 10 stars Jessica Pegula, Paula Badosa and Emma Navarro already confirmed.
This additional match practice comes at an ideal time for Raducanu before the French Open.
The second Grand Slam of the season begins at Roland Garros on 25 May.
Raducanu had previously indicated her interest in the Strasbourg event, saying: "We'll see how it goes in the next week before the French, if I get into Strasbourg."
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Emma Raducanu wants as much practice as possible before the French Open
Reuters
In her post-match press conference, Raducanu acknowledged the need to develop a more aggressive approach against elite opponents.
"I think I've taken the lessons that I need to, like, for me to have success, I need to keep swinging, committing to my forehands," she said.
The Briton values these opportunities against top-ranked players.
"I haven't really played these top opponents very often because I haven't been in the tournaments for long enough. For me to be kind of playing them now is good exposure."
