Emma Raducanu has suffered another setback in her 2026 season, withdrawing from the Italian Open just minutes after holding a press conference in which she spoke enthusiastically about the forthcoming WTA 1000 event. The British star has not featured in a competitive match since early March at Indian Wells.
Another Tournament Withdrawal
Rome marks the fourth successive tournament from which Raducanu has withdrawn. She is yet to take to the clay courts this season and will have just one remaining chance to do so ahead of the French Open, which begins later this month. While she did feature in Strasbourg before Roland-Garros last year, this represents yet another setback in what has already been a deeply disappointing 2026 for the 2021 US Open champion.
Her comeback had been anticipated in Rome, where she had been handed a bye into the second round. However, just moments after wrapping up a press conference, news broke that Raducanu had pulled out of the tournament, with illness cited as the cause. It is a double blow for Raducanu, given she was defending 120 ranking points after making it to the fourth round of the Italian Open last year.
Ranking Concerns and Expert Advice
Raducanu has slipped to 30th in the world rankings and faces a genuine threat of dropping outside the seeding positions (top 32) for the French Open. This follows former professional Greg Rusedski urging Raducanu to return to the court at the earliest opportunity.
Rusedski said: "If your preparation on the clay is really good, even if you're not a natural clay quarter, your results really end up going well on the grass court season. I always felt that myself. I wasn't the best clay court player on the planet, but I used that period to get myself stronger, move better, you know, get all those aspects in."
He added: "So when I came to the grass, it was just so easy. Emma needs to get back on court. You can't just say, okay, let's give up clay and let's just get onto the grass courts. I think you've got to get the balance. The first thing is get healthy. Get rid of this virus, get to your nutritionist, get your diet right, get your vitamin intake, what you need to get rid of this virus. Because it's such a shame she hasn't been able to play it."
Tournament Context
The entire WTA top 20 are set to feature in Rome, with Jasmine Paolini looking to retain the crown she claimed 12 months earlier. On the men's side, Carlos Alcaraz will be absent from the tournament, while Jannik Sinner is targeting his maiden Italian Open triumph.
