Emma Raducanu announced that she will not compete in the upcoming Madrid Open, a decision that reflects her ongoing effort to regain full physical health after a recent bout of illness. The British No. 1 has also opted out of the WTA events scheduled in Miami and Linz, choosing instead to concentrate on a careful rehabilitation program aimed at overcoming lingering post‑viral symptoms that emerged following an infection she contracted while in Romania in early February.
In addition to skipping the Madrid tournament, Raducanu decided not to represent Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Australia, further underscoring her commitment to a measured recovery rather than a rushed return to competition. Sources close to the player say she has already resumed light training sessions and is hopeful that she will be match‑ready for the Italian Open in Rome, which kicks off in early May.
The 23‑year‑old’s most recent appearance on the court came at Indian Wells, where she reached the third round before falling 6‑1, 6‑1 to Amanda Anisimova on March 8. After that loss, Raducanu was candid about the reasons behind her under‑whelming performance, noting that a noticeable drop in power had hampered her ability to dictate points. "I need to obviously be aggressive when playing those players, but I think there's still a long way to go to be doing that and I need to use my strengths and probably mix it up a bit more," she explained in the post‑match interview. Since parting ways with her former coach Francisco Roig in January, the 2021 US Open champion has been working on a more informal basis with former British player and coach Mark Petchey.
Their collaboration focuses on rebuilding confidence, fine‑tuning tactical choices, and, most importantly, restoring the physical conditioning that allowed Raducanu to compete at the highest level before the illness set in. The decision to withdraw from Madrid aligns Raducanu with a growing list of high‑profile players who have pulled out of the event for various reasons. Among those who will also miss the tournament are world‑class competitors such as Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Sonay Kartal and Barbora Krejcikova.
Their absences have turned the Madrid Open into a less star‑studded affair, but also provide an opportunity for lower‑ranked players to make deeper runs. Looking ahead, Raducanu’s next chance to test herself on clay will be the Italian Open, officially known as the Rome Masters, which begins on May 5. The tournament will be a crucial stepping stone as she aims to build momentum ahead of the French Open.
Following Rome, she is expected to compete in the WTA events in Strasbourg and Rabat, both of which serve as preparatory stops before the Grand Slam in Paris. While the British star is focusing on her health, fans can still follow her progress through various media channels.
Sky Sports offers live coverage of both the ATP and WTA tours, and subscribers can stream matches via the NOW platform or the Sky Sports app. In addition, the network provides a range of tennis‑related content, including scores, results, match previews, video highlights and expert analysis. Raducanu’s situation highlights a broader conversation within professional tennis about the physical toll the sport can take, especially when players contend with illnesses that disrupt training cycles. The modern calendar is densely packed, and a single health setback can cascade into multiple missed events, affecting rankings, sponsorship commitments, and confidence levels.
For Raducanu, the priority remains clear: to return to the court fully fit, with the power and aggression that characterized her breakthrough US Open victory in 2021. In summary, Emma Raducanu will sit out the Madrid Open as part of a deliberate strategy to recover from post‑viral fatigue. She has already withdrawn from Miami, Linz, and a Billie Jean King Cup tie, and is now focusing on a gradual return to competition, targeting the Italian Open in May.
Her partnership with Mark Petchey aims to restore her physical and mental edge, while the broader tennis community continues to monitor her progress through live broadcasts and streaming services offered by Sky Sports and NOW. The upcoming weeks will be crucial for Raducanu as she works to regain her form and re‑establish herself among the sport’s elite.