Emma Raducanu has decided to withdraw from her third consecutive tournament, opting out of the upcoming Madrid Open to focus on her recovery 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. She also missed the Miami Open and the Upper Austria Ladies Linz due to lingering post-viral symptoms.
Although Raducanu is not participating in Madrid, she is hopeful to return to action and kick off her clay season at the Italian Open in early May. Reports suggest that she has resumed training but is not yet ready to compete at full capacity.
Her withdrawal adds to the list of absentees at the tournament, with world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic also pulling out recently. Alcaraz sustained a wrist injury during the Barcelona Open, while Djokovic is managing a persistent issue that has not yet healed.
Raducanu’s health struggles began with a viral illness earlier this year, impacting her performance at the Transylvania Open, where she was defeated by Sorana Cirstea. Despite subsequent appearances at the WTA 1000 events in Doha and Dubai, she faced challenges and admitted that she should have withdrawn from those tournaments in hindsight.
Following a brief appearance at Indian Wells, where she won one match before a tough loss to Anisimova, Raducanu has been on a break from competitive play. Last year in Madrid, she reached the second round before exiting, resulting in a loss of 35 ranking points due to this year’s withdrawal.
Raducanu’s most notable success came at the 2025 Italian Open, where she advanced to the fourth round but was eventually defeated by Coco Gauff. Her recent setbacks, including injuries and illness, have disrupted her pursuit of consistent form throughout the season.
Despite facing challenges, Raducanu showed promise by reaching the final in Cluj earlier this year. However, ongoing health issues have continued to disrupt her performance on the court.