British tennis star Emma Raducanu will miss the upcoming Madrid Open, extending her absence from the WTA Tour as she continues to recover from a persistent viral illness that has plagued her since February.
Raducanu, the former US Open champion, last competed at Indian Wells in early March before withdrawing from subsequent tournaments in Miami and Linz. The 23-year-old has been focusing on her fitness and is expected to require significant clay court training before making her return to competitive play.
"Emma Raducanu's absence from the WTA Tour will be extended by at least two more weeks following her withdrawal from the upcoming Madrid Open," noted tennis correspondent Russell Fuller.
Clay surfaces have presented both promise and challenges for Raducanu throughout her career. She demonstrated potential during her 2022 clay court debut season but suffered a back injury in Madrid that forced her to retire from Rome the following week. Subsequent years have been marked by surgeries and intermittent back issues that have complicated her clay court campaigns.
In 2024, Raducanu showed encouraging form on indoor clay during Billie Jean King Cup matches and reached the Stuttgart quarterfinals, but suffered a disappointing first-round exit in Madrid that left her "mentally and emotionally exhausted." She skipped the French Open that year to prioritize training.
Last season brought mixed results on clay, including a fourth-round appearance in Rome but further back problems in Strasbourg and at Roland Garros.
Raducanu's next opportunity to compete on clay comes at the Italian Open beginning May 5, with additional tournaments in Strasbourg and Rabat preceding the French Open. If she misses the entire clay court season, her competitive hiatus would stretch to three months, leaving her with limited match practice ahead of the grass court tournaments.
The latter half of the season holds particular significance for Raducanu, featuring home grass court events and US hard court tournaments where she first rose to prominence. The season concludes with tournaments in China, where her heritage ensures enthusiastic support.
Since parting ways with coach Francisco Roig after the Australian Open, Raducanu has been working with Alexis Canter. She has expressed openness to hiring another full-time coach but has voiced concerns about the intense scrutiny that accompanies such decisions.
Raducanu joins other notable withdrawals from the Madrid Open, including Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, as the tournament prepares to begin next week.