Emma Raducanu may find it advantageous to bring her 2024 campaign to a close, allowing her to concentrate on rehabilitation and lock in a protected ranking before returning to competition in 2027, according to former British No. 1 Annabel Croft. The 23‑year‑old British star fractured the stress bone in her right lower leg during the grass‑court swing and ultimately decided to withdraw from Wimbledon at the last minute. After further consultations with her medical team, Raducanu announced on Monday that she will also miss the US Open later this month, a development reported live on Sky Sports.
In tennis, a protected ranking is a mechanism that helps players who have been sidelined by injury to re‑enter the tour without having to start from the bottom of the rankings. The ATP and WTA each have distinct rules.
On the men’s side, a player may use a protected ranking based on the average of his ranking over the three months preceding the injury. For women, the protected ranking is frozen at the level it was at the moment the injury occurred, and it can be applied to up to eight events in a season (or twelve if the lay‑off exceeds a year).
Raducanu has only just begun to test the waters on court again, moving cautiously in a protective boot. This fresh setback adds to a frustrating twelve‑month period that has been riddled with recurring physical problems. During an interview on Sky Sports Tennis, Croft – now a television analyst – remarked, "She’s been unbelievably unlucky with injury problems. There are countless ailments that tour players face, yet Emma never seems to get a clean stretch where her body, mind and tennis are all in sync and injury‑free, allowing her to build momentum." Earlier in the year, a foot injury disrupted her pre‑season preparation, and a subsequent post‑viral illness forced her out of competition for roughly ten weeks after she fell ill in early February.
After finally returning for the tail end of the clay season, she re‑hired Andrew Richardson, the coach who guided her to the US Open triumph, but their time together on court has been limited. In June, Raducanu enjoyed one of the most promising weeks of her career, reaching the final at Queen’s Club – her biggest final since her breakthrough in New York – only to suffer the injury that now threatens her season. She was also omitted from Great Britain’s squad for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals scheduled for late September.
Croft noted, "I’ve seen countless photos of Emma with a boot on her leg, trying to serve, keeping her racket in motion, showing everyone she’s doing everything she can. But clearly the injury hasn’t healed fully yet." The uncertainty now looms over whether Raducanu, currently ranked No. 49, will be able to compete in 2026 without invoking a protected ranking. Should she be forced to miss at least six months due to injury, she could apply a special ranking for a limited number of tournaments upon her return, effectively using the ranking she held during the grass‑court season – the last time she earned prize money on tour.
Her ranking is at risk of slipping dramatically because she has a substantial number of points to defend from last year’s North American hard‑court swing, which included deep runs in Washington, Canada, Cincinnati and the US Open. Croft, a former world No.
24, said, "It wouldn’t surprise me if she decides to close out the season. That wouldn’t be a bad call because it would give her the chance to fully heal, rest, undergo as much treatment as needed and come back fit and eager for the next season." She added, "There is a legitimate concern about a potential ranking drop with so many points to defend, but the protected ranking could mitigate that loss. All these variables need to be weighed. Ultimately, health is wealth, and Emma’s priority must be getting back to full fitness." Regarding the nature of the injury, Croft explained, "It’s an unusual problem.
I’ve dealt with calf muscle strains myself, which are painful, but the moment you push off you feel a tightness. What always struck me about Emma, especially when we saw her at Queen’s Club on the grass, was how light on her feet she is. Movement has always been a hallmark of her game." "She’s an exceptional athlete – she glides around the ball, positions herself beautifully and never looks off‑balance. That agility is a core strength, and it must be at 100 % for her to compete at the highest level," Croft concluded.
The broader tennis audience can follow the ATP and WTA tours, as well as the US Open, from August 30 via Sky Sports or the NOW streaming service, with additional live sport available through the Sky Sports app.