Emma Raducanu received a favorable opening draw at the WTA 1000 draw in Indian Wells but she will face a very difficult challenge if she reaches the second round.
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After the Indian Wells main draw was released, it was revealed that the Briton would face world No. 52 Moyuka Uchijima in the first round.
When the two meet in the desert, it will be the second time that they will be clashing against each other.
Previously, Raducanu ousted the Japanese 6-2 6-4 on the hard courts of Seoul in 2022.
If the 2021 US Open champion beats Uchijima, then she will meet No. 3 Coco Gauff, who has a first-round bye.
Needless to say, it would be a very tough matchup for the former world No. 10 but also a great chance to clinch one of her biggest wins over the last couple of years.
Should that match happen, it would be their second meeting - 2023 US Open champion Gauff beat the Briton at the 2023 Australian Open.
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Raducanu seeks to make it past the round-of-16 in Indian Wells for the first time
This year, the 22-year-old is making her fifth consecutive appearance in the desert.
So far, her best result has been a round-of-16 outing in 2023 - that year her campaign was ended by Iga Swiatek.
Meanwhile, Raducanu is also set to play her first tournament after the infamous Dubai stalking incident.
"Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday but I'll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match," the Briton wrote on Instagram after the incident.
In the wake of the incident, the Indian Wells organizers reached out to the 2021 US Open winner and offered up to five extra security guards in the desert.
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Raducanu was seemingly pleased with their security guarantees and arrived in Indian Wells over the weekend and was spotted smiling while being accompanied by tournament director Tommy Haas.
