Emma Raducanu has decided to withdraw from the upcoming Madrid Open, citing her ongoing struggle to achieve full fitness after a recent illness. The British number one had also pulled out of tournaments in Miami and Linz, prioritizing her rehabilitation from post-viral symptoms that she contracted in early February. Raducanu, who skipped 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 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, set to begin on May 5, will be Raducanu's next opportunity to compete 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joins a list of high-profile players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Barbora Krejcikova, who have also withdrawn from the Madrid Open.