Emma Raducanu Pulls Out of Madrid Open to Focus on Recovery

Emma Raducanu will not be participating in the upcoming Madrid Open as she continues her journey to regain full fitness. This decision comes after her withdrawals from the WTA Tour events in Miami and Linz, prioritizing her rehabilitation from post-viral symptoms that stemmed from an illness she contracted in Romania in early February. Raducanu, who also opted out of Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Australia, has resumed training and is hopeful to compete in the Rome tournament at the beginning of May. Her last match was on March 8 at Indian Wells, where she lost to Amanda Anisimova. Raducanu attributed her subpar performance to a lack of power and acknowledged the need to adopt a more aggressive playing style. Since parting ways with coach Francisco Roig in January, Raducanu has been informally working with Mark Petchey to regain her form. The Italian Open, starting on May 5 in Rome, will be Raducanu's next opportunity to play on clay, followed by tournaments in Strasbourg and Rabat leading up to the French Open. Raducanu joins a list of high-profile players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Sonay Kartal, and Barbora Krejcikova, who have also withdrawn from the Madrid Open.