Emma Raducanu has decided to withdraw from her third consecutive tournament and will not be participating in the upcoming Madrid Open as she continues to recover from an illness she contracted back in February. The top-ranked British player has been absent from competition since her loss to Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells six weeks ago, and she also missed the Miami Open and the Upper Austria Ladies Linz due to post-viral symptoms.
Despite her recent setbacks, Raducanu remains positive about her return to the courts and is aiming to kick off her clay season at the Italian Open in early May. While she has resumed training, she feels it is too early to compete in Madrid.
Her absence adds to the challenges for tournament organizers, as world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, a three-time former champion, also withdrew from the Madrid Open. Alcaraz sustained a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open, while Djokovic is still recovering from a persistent injury.
Raducanu’s health struggles began with a viral illness in February, which affected her performance at the Transylvania Open, where she was defeated by Sorana Cirstea. Following that, she participated in the WTA 1000 tournaments in Doha and Dubai but faced difficulties and had to withdraw during a match in Doha and exited early in Dubai.
Looking back, Raducanu acknowledged that she should have withdrawn from those tournaments. Despite a challenging season, she showed promise at the 2025 Italian Open, reaching the fourth round before being eliminated by Coco Gauff.
Injuries and illnesses have disrupted Raducanu’s pursuit of consistency on the court. A foot problem impacted her pre-season, and she only started practicing days before her first match of the year at the United Cup. After a second-round exit at the Australian Open, she parted ways with her coach and has been supported by her hitting partner and physiotherapist.
While there have been some positive moments, including reaching a final in Cluj in February, Raducanu’s season has been marred by health issues. Her ongoing symptoms have prevented her from competing at her best, leading to her withdrawal from the Madrid Open and affecting her ranking points.
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