Emma Raducanu has fallen further down the WTA rankings as she aims to return to full fitness. The 23-year-old has endured various spells on the sidelines since her breakthrough triumph at the US Open in 2021.
The British ace holds the distinction of winning a major title, which she secured after coming through qualifying at Flushing Meadows. Raducanu reached No.10 in the rankings less than a year later but has yet to win another singles title as she strives for consistency. She will hope to start her clay-court season at the upcoming Madrid Open later this month. However, Raducanu has dropped down the world rankings ahead of the tournament after previously withdrawing from the Miami Open and Linz Open.
The WTA lists Raducanu in 29th spot, falling one place from 28th. This is due to the Brit not earning ranking points while she recovers from a viral illness. Raducanu last played at Indian Wells in March, losing to Amanda Anisimova in the third round.
The new world No. 29 opted to skip the Miami Open and Linz Open after suffering from illness. BBC Sport reported that Raducanu had begun to feel unwell in February but continued competing before withdrawing from the Austrian event.
While the British star focuses on a possible return at the Madrid Open, which begins on April 21, Romania’s Sorana Cirstea has leapfrogged her in the rankings. The 36-year-old has climbed three places to 26th after reaching the Linz Open quarter-finals.
Raducanu has already crossed paths with Cirstea this year. The pair faced off in the Transylvania Open final, with Cirstea triumphing in her home country, though Raducanu was already feeling out of sorts before her 6-0, 6-2 defeat.
“In Cluj, I picked up like a virus, I think, at the start of the tournament,” she told the Guardian in February. “So I was dealing with that and the after-effects… I had really long effects for the last three weeks. I’ve been trying to clear them. So the Middle East trip was very difficult for me.”
It is understood that Raducanu is targeting a full recovery before returning to action. The 2025 Madrid Open was won by Aryna Sabalenka, who earned a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Coco Gauff in the final.