Raducanu Pulls Out of Madrid Open to Focus on Recovery

Emma Raducanu has decided to withdraw from the upcoming Madrid Open as she continues her journey to regain full fitness. The British number one had also withdrawn from the recent WTA Tour events in Miami and Linz, prioritizing her recovery from post-viral symptoms that stemmed from an illness she contracted in Romania in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 of participating in the Rome tournament in early May. Her last match was at Indian Wells on March 8, where she lost to Amanda Anisimova. Raducanu attributed her underwhelming performance to a lack of power and acknowledged the need to be more aggressive in her gameplay. Following her split from coach Francisco Roig in January, Raducanu has been informally working with Mark Petchey to regain her form. Her next opportunity to compete on clay will be at the Italian Open in Rome, starting on May 5, 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joins a list of high-profile players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Barbora Krejcikova, who have also withdrawn from the Madrid Open.