Emma Raducanu’s stop-start 2026 season has taken another turn, with the former US Open champion withdrawing from the Madrid Open as she continues to deal with the lingering effects of illness.
The Brit has not competed since March and had already scaled back her schedule in recent weeks, pulling out of Miami and Linz as she prioritised a full recovery. Madrid, it seems, has come too soon.
Illness disruption continues to shape schedule
Raducanu’s issues trace back to a viral illness picked up during her run in Cluj in February, and the after-effects have continued to disrupt her rhythm. While she returned briefly in Indian Wells, where she lost to Amanda Anisimova, she acknowledged afterwards that she was not operating at full capacity.
“I need to obviously be aggressive when playing those players,” she said at the time. “But I think there’s still a long way to go… I need to use my strengths and probably mix it up a bit more.”
Since then, her focus has shifted firmly towards recovery and rebuilding fitness rather than chasing immediate results.
Rome now the likely return target
Raducanu is understood to be back training and is targeting a return at the Italian Open in Rome in early May, a more realistic timeline given the need to regain match sharpness.
Her decision to skip the Billie Jean King Cup tie against Australia and subsequently withdraw from Linz underlined that longer-term planning has taken priority over short-term appearances.
British contingent thinned in Madrid
Raducanu is not the only British absence in Madrid. Sonay Kartal will also miss the event due to injury, leaving Katie Boulter as the leading British representative in the draw.
The withdrawals extend beyond the British contingent, with several high-profile names—across both tours—opting out of the tournament.
A familiar pattern on clay
For Raducanu, the clay season has often proved difficult to navigate, with fitness interruptions limiting continuity at this stage of the year. The pattern appears to be repeating, with uncertainty around her schedule once again shaping her spring.
Her collaboration with Mark Petchey, currently on an informal basis, remains in its early stages and has yet to be reflected in match play due to her limited appearances.
For now, the emphasis is clear: regain health, rebuild rhythm, and return when ready—but it’s a familiar refrain.