British tennis player Emma Raducanu has announced her withdrawal from the upcoming Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo as well as the Hong Kong Open, effectively bringing her 2025 season to an early close. This decision comes on the heels of a difficult stint in Asia, where the 22-year-old faced numerous challenges, including health issues.
Raducanu’s recent performances have been hampered by a persistent back problem and a bout of illness. Last week at the Wuhan Open, she was forced to retire during her match against Ann Li due to dizziness exacerbated by the extreme heat. Following the match, she underwent medical assessments in a hospital. Despite these setbacks, Raducanu tried to compete at the Ningbo Open this week; however, she struggled against Chinese wild-card Zhu Lin. During the match, she required medical attention twice to assess her vitals and treat her lower back, ultimately losing in three sets.
Currently, Raducanu is positioned at No. 29 in the live rankings but risks falling out of the top 30 if competitors near her in the rankings perform well as the season concludes. This drop could have consequences for her seeding at the Australian Open scheduled for January.
Looking ahead to 2026, Raducanu will have opportunities to amass ranking points at the beginning of the year, which could bolster her chances of receiving a seed at the first Grand Slam tournament of the season.
Injuries and health problems have persisted since Raducanu’s remarkable triumph at the 2021 US Open, and the past four years have seen their fair share of challenges. However, early in the current year, she took proactive steps to enhance her fitness and has shown she can hold her own against top competitors, notably in intense matches against Aryna Sabalenka at both Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Open.
Regrets from the past month linger, particularly after holding match points against Barbora Krejcikova and Jessica Pegula but failing to close out those matches. Nevertheless, there is hope as she has confirmed her continuation with coach Francis Roig, setting a foundation for improvement in 2026.
Throughout 2025, Raducanu managed to sustain her endurance during a busy season, playing a career-high of 50 matches after entering all the top 15 tournaments, including all four Grand Slams and eleven WTA 1000 events for the first time. It was only towards the end of the year, amid harsh conditions in China, that she encountered significant physical difficulties leading to retirements.
This season has not been devoid of disturbing experiences. Earlier in the year, during a match in Dubai, she dealt with an individual displaying troubling behavior towards her, and she also faced a coaching transition when Nick Cavaday stepped back due to health issues.
Despite the ups and downs, Raducanu demonstrated resilience by finding her rhythm during the Miami Open in March, where working with Mark Petchey yielded her best result at a WTA 1000 event.
As she prepares for a new chapter in 2026, Raducanu remains a player to watch, seeking to overcome her recent hurdles on her path back to the upper echelons of women’s tennis.
