Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from two lucrative exhibition appearances alongside Carlos Alcaraz in the United States next month after suffering a foot injury during her preparations for the new year.
The British No1 brought her season to a premature end last month by pulling out of her last two scheduled tournaments for the year. This followed the emergence of a back injury and an undisclosed health issue, which led to blood-pressure checks during two separate matches.
Raducanu, who turned 23 last Thursday, has since taken some time off before returning to training at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, southwest London, where she developed some light bone bruising on her right foot. While this is not considered to be a serious injury, a precautionary decision was made to pull out of unofficial matches in New Jersey on December 7 and Miami on December 8.
Raducanu has previously credited Roig, left, with helping her “not be a perfectionist”
JAVIER GARCIA/SHUTTERSTOCK EDITORIAL
This is likely to cost Raducanu about £500,000 as this is estimated to be the appearance fee the 2021 US Open champion could command for a trip across the Atlantic for a two-night series of matches. She has been replaced by Jessica Pegula, the world No6 from the US.
Instead, Raducanu will now focus on an extended training block with her Spanish coach, Francisco Roig, in Barcelona. She will then travel to Australia towards the end of December before the United Cup mixed event from January 2 in Perth, where she will represent Great Britain alongside Jack Draper.
Raducanu will also look to build her partnership with a new member of staff. Emma Stewart, a physio who worked with British Rowing during the Paris 2024 Olympics cycle and has had spells with the WTA and LTA, has joined the team and will travel to a selection of tournaments next season.
This is an important appointment as Raducanu had been working with an assortment of temporary personnel on the physical side since she ended a partnership with Yutaka Nakamura, the former fitness trainer of Maria Sharapova, during the summer. In the short term Stewart will also be handling Raducanu’s strength and conditioning training as well as her physiotherapy.
Raducanu was a guest of the England squad this week, visiting them at their training base before watching Henry Pollock and his team-mates beat the All Blacks at Twickenham on Saturday
DAN MULLAN/GETTY
Raducanu was due to play Amanda Anisimova, the 2024 Wimbledon runner-up and world No4 from the US, in New Jersey and Miami, but she and Stewart came to the conclusion that it would be better to manage the load on her foot carefully in training rather than trying to play matches.
This also ends the opportunity of a mixed-doubles reunion with Alcaraz before the end of the year. The pair played together at the US Open this year and had been expected to team up again for a ten-point mixed tie-break in Miami. Alcaraz is still due to play singles against Frances Tiafoe in New Jersey and João Fonseca in Miami.
Raducanu will finish 2025 at a world ranking of No29, putting her on track for a crucial top-32 seeding at the Australian Open, which starts on January 19. The United Cup is her last chance to earn enough ranking points to secure this position, which would mean she avoids the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek until the third round at the earliest.
The draw for the United Cup was made on Tuesday, putting Britain in group E with Japan and Greece. This raises the possibility of singles matches for Raducanu against Naomi Osaka, the four-times grand-slam singles champion, and Maria Sakkari, the former world No3. She could also play mixed doubles alongside Draper.
Raducanu has recently used her time away from competition to observe rugby union at close quarters. She attended the England men’s training camp last week as a guest of the head coach, Steve Borthwick, before watching the 33-19 victory over New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday. Afterwards she posed for photographs with Henry Pollock, the 20-year-old flanker, and the Hillary Shield in the England dressing room.