Emma Raducanu is back on a downward trajectory after making major progress earlier in 2026
Emma Raducanu has traded places with Emma Navarro after the billionaire heiress previously did her a favour(Image: Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)
British No. 1 Emma Raducanu has suffered a drop down the WTA rankings after extending her tennis absence throughout the past week. And she has taken a leaf out of Emma Navarro’s book, given that it was the billionaire heiress’ own spell on the sidelines that previously contributed to Raducanu’s ascent.
The former US Open champion had been enjoying a gradual climb up the WTA standings on the back of some promising performances in 2026. However, she has slipped five places to 28th in the world following her withdrawal from the Miami Open through illness.
Raducanu reached the quarter-finals of the same WTA 1000 event last year. Yet her absence from the 2026 draw has resulted in her shedding 185 rankings points.
The 23-year-old achieved a career-high ranking of 10th in July 2022, a year on from her only major triumph at Flushing Meadows. She subsequently plummeted to a low of No. 285 towards the close of 2023 as a succession of injuries and absences hampered her ability to build any momentum.
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All of that appears firmly behind her now following a series of encouraging showings so far this year. But missing Miami has proved costly, with the likes of Marta Kostyuk, Marie Bouzkova and Navarro herself leapfrogging the Briton back up the standings.
It was earlier in March that Navarro’s own dip unwittingly helped bolster Raducanu’s position. The American has fallen at the first hurdle in each of her last three WTA tournament outings.
Navarro is back above Raducanu despite not being active herself in recent weeks(Image: Getty)
The most recent of those came at the Austin 125 event in Texas three weeks ago. However, Raducanu’s decline has been so dramatic that even without competing, Navarro has managed to make some upward movement in the rankings.
Navarro, 24, is one of four children set to inherit a share of the £2.4billion financial empire built by her father, Ben. As well as owning the Cincinnati Open and Charleston Open, Navarro Sr is the founder of the Beemok investment firm and a minority owner of Credit One banking.
In many respects, that fact makes Navarro Jr’s exceptional qualities on the tennis court all the more remarkable. And despite her current struggles, she has demonstrated enough in the past to indicate she’ll rediscover her finest form.
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Raducanu has not been in action since suffering a second-round defeat to Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells at the start of March. She endured a 6-1, 6-1 loss in a one-sided encounter prior to her break from the sport.
The young talent has also undergone her latest coaching change after re-appointing Mark Petchey just before Indian Wells. She had been working alongside Rafael Nadal’s former coach, Fernando Roig, before their parting of ways was confirmed.