Emma Raducanu has decided to withdraw from her third consecutive tournament and will not be participating in the upcoming Madrid Open as she continues her recovery from an illness she contracted in February. The British top-ranked player has been absent from competitive matches since her loss to Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells six weeks ago. She also missed the Miami Open and the Upper Austria Ladies Linz due to post-viral symptoms.
Despite these setbacks, Raducanu is hopeful about returning to action and starting her clay season at the Italian Open in early May. While reports suggest she has resumed training, she feels she is not yet ready to compete in Madrid.
This development adds to the challenges faced by tournament organizers, as world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and former champion Novak Djokovic have also withdrawn from the Madrid Open due to injuries. Alcaraz sustained a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open, while Djokovic continues to manage an ongoing health issue.
Raducanu’s recent health struggles began with a viral illness in February, impacting her performance at the Transylvania Open final, where she was defeated by Sorana Cirstea. Following that, she participated in the WTA 1000 tournaments in Doha and Dubai but had to withdraw mid-match in Doha and exited early in Dubai.
While reflecting on her recent tournaments, Raducanu admitted that she should have withdrawn from some events earlier. Her last appearance was at Indian Wells, where she won one match before a tough loss to Anisimova, leading to her current break from competition.
Although Raducanu reached the second round in Madrid last year before being eliminated by Marta Kostyuk, her absence this year will result in a loss of 35 ranking points. Her previous notable achievement was advancing to the fourth round of the 2025 Italian Open before being defeated by Coco Gauff.
This season has been demanding for Raducanu, with injuries and illnesses disrupting her momentum. A foot problem affected her pre-season preparation, and she only began full training days before her first match of the year at the United Cup.
Following a second-round exit at the Australian Open, Raducanu parted ways with her coach Francisco Roig and has since been supported by her hitting partner, Alexis Canter, and physiotherapist Emma Stewart. Despite facing setbacks, Raducanu showed promise by reaching a final in Cluj in February, but her ongoing health issues have hampered her progress this season.