Emma Raducanu pulls out of tournament as mystery illness continues to ravage Briton

Callum Vurley
Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:11:03 +0000

Emma Raducanu will not compete at the Madrid Open, extending her absence from professional tennis to a third successive tournament.

The British number one continues to battle the effects of a viral illness that first struck during her Middle East swing in February.

The 23-year-old former US Open champion last appeared on court at Indian Wells in early March, where she fell to Amanda Anisimova in a punishing 52-minute defeat.

Since then, she has sat out both the Miami Open and the Upper Austria Ladies Linz while managing persistent post-viral symptoms.

Her withdrawal means Raducanu will forfeit 35 ranking points from last year's second-round showing in Madrid.

Raducanu remains hopeful of making her comeback at the Italian Open, which gets underway on 5 May in Rome. Reports indicate she has resumed training but is not yet prepared for competitive action in the Spanish capital.

The world number 29 has been concentrating primarily on rebuilding her fitness during her time away from the tour.

However, she will require substantial practice time on clay before returning to competition, given her well-documented difficulties with movement on the surface.

The red dirt has historically posed challenges for Raducanu's intermittently troublesome back, making a cautious approach to her return essential.

Her absence compounds a difficult week for Madrid Open organisers, who have seen their draw decimated by high-profile withdrawals.

World number two Carlos Alcaraz and three-time former champion Novak Djokovic both pulled out on Friday within hours of each other.

Alcaraz sustained a wrist injury during this week's Barcelona Open, forcing him to miss his home tournament. Djokovic, meanwhile, continues to manage a lingering injury and has not recovered sufficiently to take part.

The triple blow of losing Raducanu, Alcaraz and Djokovic represents a significant setback for the tournament, which begins on Tuesday.

Raducanu's 2026 campaign has been plagued by setbacks from the outset. A foot problem disrupted her pre-season preparations, leaving her to begin hitting practice points just days before her opening match at the United Cup.

Following a second-round exit at the Australian Open, she parted ways with Spanish coach Francisco Roig.

She has since been travelling with hitting partner Alexis Canter and physiotherapist Emma Stewart.

There were glimpses of promise when she reached her first final since her 2021 US Open triumph, finishing as runner-up to Sorana Cirstea in Cluj.

But the viral illness she contracted shortly afterwards has derailed her progress ever since.