Emma Raducanu has decided to withdraw from her third consecutive tournament and will be missing the upcoming Madrid Open as she continues to recover from an illness she contracted in February. The top-ranked British player has been absent from competition since her loss to Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells six weeks ago, also skipping the Miami Open and the Upper Austria Ladies Linz due to post-viral symptoms.
Despite these setbacks, Raducanu is hopeful that she will return to action and kick off her clay season at the Italian Open in early May. While reports indicate that she has resumed training, she feels she is not yet ready to compete in Madrid.
Her absence adds to the challenges faced by tournament organizers, as world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and three-time former champion Novak Djokovic also recently withdrew from the event. Alcaraz sustained a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open, while Djokovic continues to manage an ongoing injury that has kept him from competing.
Raducanu’s illness first impacted her during 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 in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Reflecting on these events, she acknowledged that she should have withdrawn from those tournaments earlier.
Although she achieved one victory at Indian Wells, Raducanu faced a tough defeat against Anisimova and has not played since. In Madrid last year, she reached the second round before being eliminated by Marta Kostyuk, resulting in a loss of 35 ranking points due to this year’s withdrawal.
Despite her recent challenges, Raducanu had a strong showing at the 2025 Italian Open, making it to the fourth round before being defeated. Injuries and illnesses have disrupted her pursuit of consistent form this season, starting with a foot problem during the pre-season, which affected her preparation leading up to her first match at the United Cup.
After an early exit at the Australian Open, Raducanu parted ways with her coach and has since been supported by her hitting partner and physiotherapist. While she reached the final in Cluj in February, a viral illness and its lingering effects have continued to hamper her season.
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