Emma Raducanu withdraws from Miami Open with reported illness as attentions turn to clay-court swing ahead of French Open

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An enticing all-British clash between Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal was brewing at the Miami Open, but Raducanu has withdrawn from the competition through reported illness. The British No. 1 made it to the quarter-finals in Florida last year, where she was eventually beaten by Jessica Pegula. Raducanu was due to receive a bye to the second round, but has been replaced by Jaqueline Cristian.

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Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the 2026 Miami Open.

The British No. 1 was set to enter the tournament in the second round after receiving a bye. However, she is no longer in the draw officially listed on the Miami Open website, with Jaqueline Cristian taking her place.

Multiple reports said on Monday that Raducanu's withdrawal was a result of her suffering post-viral symptoms from the illness she picked up last month.

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Raducanu reached the quarter-finals of last year's Miami Open, beating home favourites Emma Navarro and Amanda Anisimova en route to the final eight, but eventually crashed out following a three-set defeat by Jessica Pegula.

There was much anticipation ahead of her return to Miami due to the fact she was on an early collision course with British No. 2 Sonay Kartal in the second round.

Kartal is also not listed in the Miami Open draw. She was aiming to build on her fantastic Indian Wells run, where she beat Navarro and Madison Keys before retiring a set down to Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina in the fourth round, and said on social media afterwards "time to do what we can and try to be ready for Miami".

Kartal and Raducanu have never met on the professional tour, but have been known to be frequent rivals during their days as juniors.

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Raducanu was due to be the No. 24 seed in Miami, and could have faced Pegula yet again on the blue acrylic in the fourth round.

Miami is the first notable absence for Raducanu this season after her 2025 campaign was curtailed by a foot injury. She will also miss Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup clash against Australia in April.

Raducanu's Indian Wells run ended in the second round with a resounding 6-1 6-1 defeat to Anisimova in 52 minutes.

Speaking after the defeat to the world No. 6, Raducanu said: "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."

There has yet to be a public announcement of Raducanu's next permanent coach following her split with Francisco Roig after the Australian Open.

She worked alongside Mark Petchey for Indian Wells, having enjoyed some strong form under his guidance last year.

British No. 4 Francesca Jones, meanwhile, will face seven-time major champion Venus Williams in one of the standout matches of the opening round.

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In the men's draw, Novak Djokovic withdrew following a right shoulder issue which hampered him during the round-of-16 defeat to Jack Draper at Indian Wells.

For both Raducanu and Djokovic, attentions will now turn to the clay-court swing in preparation for the French Open which begins in May - live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

Watch and stream the 2026 French Open live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

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