Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Madrid Open, meaning her absence from the WTA Tour will extend to nearly two months.
The British No1 has struggled to shake off a viral illness since the Middle East swing in February but is now understood to be back in full training and hopes to be match fit in time for the Italian Open at the start of next month.
Raducanu endured consecutive first-round exits in Qatar and Dubai as she battled the symptoms of a chest infection. The 23-year-old then travelled to Indian Wells but has not competed since suffering a bruising defeat against Amanda Anisimova in the second round. Raducanu practised in Miami but withdrew before the draw and then also pulled out of the Linz Open.
Raducanu needed medical attention after suffering chest discomfort in Dubai Amr Alfiky/Reuters
The world No29’s team have not detailed if there is an underlying reason behind her persistent fitness struggles, but the length of time off has inevitably raised questions about whether there is a more significant issue at hand than a viral illness.
The sense of uncertainty has only added to what has already been a tumultuous season for Raducanu. She split with coach Francisco Roig after the Australian Open in January, citing a desire to return to the more naturally aggressive style that propelled her to unprecedented glory at US Open in 2021, and continues to work with hitting partner Alexis Canter in the meantime.
The scrutiny over a long list of coaching casualties has left Raducanu cautious about employing a new full-time coach, while the decision to reunite with Mark Petchey in Indian Wells was never a long-term solution due to his broadcasting commitments.
Parting ways with Roig, right, has been another source of turbulence this season Ella Ling/Shutterstock Editorial
Although Raducanu is back on court, she has noticeably not been training at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.
Raducanu has been more transparent about the fact that clay is not her favoured surface and so the desire to avoid rushing her comeback is understandable. She made an impressive debut in Madrid in 2022 and reached the round of 16, but then missed the tournament the following year after undergoing operations on her wrists and left ankle. In 2024, Raducanu lost in the first round to the qualifier María Lourdes Carlé and then decided to skip the remainder of the clay-court season, including the French Open, due to being “mentally and emotionally exhausted”.
Raducanu lost in the second round last year and has significantly more ranking points to defend in Rome, where she reached the fourth round.
Jack Draper’s participation is also in doubt after a knee injury that forced him to retire during his first-round match at the Barcelona Open, with his coach, Jamie Delgado, not having travelled back to Spain as of Saturday afternoon. The world No28 reached the final last year and so faces a significant drop in the rankings if he is deemed unfit.
Sonay Kartal and Jacob Fearnley have already withdrawn from the tournament in what is amounting to something of an injury crisis for British tennis.