Emma Raducanu becomes latest player to withdraw from Madrid Open to continue recovery from illness ahead of Roland-Garros
Published 19/04/2026 at 19:03 GMT+1
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Emma Raducanu will not play at the Madrid Open as her struggles to return to full fitness following a viral illness continue, with next month's French Open drawing nearer.
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The British No. 1 fell ill in the Middle East in February. She competed at Indian Wells, but then missed the Miami Open and Linz Open.
Raducanu is yet to play in the clay swing, which will be a cause for concern with the French Open - live on TNT Sports and HBO Max - just over a month away.
The next clay tournament is the Italian Open in Rome, from May 5, before events in Strasbourg and Rabat just before Roland-Garros.
Missing the entirety of the clay season would mean Raducanu heading towards Wimbledon having been out of action for three months.
The 23-year-old has only played twice before at the French Open, knocked out in the second round in 2022 and 2025.
Her greatest success came when she won the US Open in 2021, and she will hope for another strong tournament in Flushing Meadows.
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The home Grand Slam will be a priority for Raducanu, too, as she looks to progress beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time.
But her immediate focus will be on returning to full health in time for the French Open.
Raducanu is back in training and building towards a return, so the news is not entirely negative.
Expectations will not be high if she does make the French Open, though, with her last match a 6-1 6-1 defeat against Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells on March 8.
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"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 said after the loss.
"When I'm playing someone who's at the top like that, I think they have an extra 10 miles an hour on their serve than me. If I'm not feeling it, that gap feels more evident in terms of weight of shot, in terms of power.
"You just feel a little bit behind and your punches aren't landing as much as theirs are."
Raducanu's search for a coach has continued in 2026, with Mark Petchey taking the role on an informal basis after she split with Francisco Roig in January.
She is the latest big name to have pulled out of the Madrid Open, after Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic withdrew with injury concerns of their own.
TNT Sports is the exclusive French Open broadcaster in the UK and Ireland. Coverage of every court will be available to stream live on HBO Max.
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