Emma Raducanu has concluded her 2025 season prematurely due to ongoing physical issues experienced during her recent trip to China. The British tennis star aimed to secure a strong finish to the year to enhance her chances of being seeded at the upcoming Australian Open, but her aspirations now remain uncertain.
In a positive development, Raducanu, aged 22, has solidified her coaching situation by extending her collaboration with seasoned Spaniard Francisco Roig for the 2026 season. Their partnership began recently, and this continuity may provide a stable environment for Raducanu to recover and refocus.
Last week in Wuhan, Raducanu’s match against Ann Li ended abruptly as she retired during the second set, grappling with dizziness exacerbated by the sweltering conditions. She later shared on social media a visit to a healthcare professional, indicating her need to seek medical attention. Although she reported feeling improved, her performance in the Ningbo Open was disappointing. Raducanu started strong against Zhu Lin by taking the first set but quickly became sluggish and struggled with recurring lower back issues, ultimately surrendering the match.
Raducanu was scheduled to compete at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and the Hong Kong Open set to begin on October 27. However, she has chosen to prioritize her health and recovery over these upcoming events. Reports suggest that in the past ten days, Raducanu has been dealing with significant discomfort, prompting her decision to refrain from pushing her body further.
This season has been a rollercoaster for the former US Open champion. After a challenging start, which included the departure of her coach Nick Cavaday due to health concerns and a disconcerting incident during a match in Dubai, Raducanu struggled to find her footing. She recorded only three match wins leading up to the Miami Open in March. However, a temporary coaching stint with Mark Petchey resulted in immediate success, enabling her to reach the quarterfinals at a prestigious WTA 1000 event.
Following that turning point, her spring and summer were marked by consistent victories, significantly improving her ranking. Unfortunately, the optimism following her performance at the US Open has faded as she has recently seen a downturn in her form.
Raducanu also decided to withdraw from representing Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, creating additional challenges pertaining to her team dynamics. Her recent performances in Asia yielded only two wins across four tournaments, including heartbreaks against Barbora Krejcikova and Jessica Pegula, where she lost even after being in strong positions.
Despite these setbacks, Raducanu’s recent work may still warrant a seed in Melbourne, optimizing her chances of more favorable matchups in grand slam draws. After starting the year ranked 61st, she has made notable progress to 29th, showing that she can endure a full season of competitive tennis.
With an uninterrupted preseason in collaboration with Roig, if Raducanu can stabilize her physical training and return to her winning ways, optimism for a successful 2026 season remains a distinct possibility.
