Emma Raducanu has been forced to withdraw from the Italian Open, marking the latest setback in a disrupted season. The 23-year-old British No 1 was scheduled to begin her campaign against Solana Sierra or a qualifier later this week, with a potential meeting against Coco Gauff in Rome. However, she has pulled out due to a post-viral illness.
Raducanu has not played since Indian Wells in March because of the illness, and a hand injury also contributed to her decision to skip the Mutua Madrid Open last week. Consequently, she is yet to play a clay-court match this season, with the French Open starting on 24 May approaching rapidly.
Twelve months ago, Raducanu reached the fourth round in Rome before losing to Gauff. Her absence is a blow to the Italian Open, the last WTA 1000 event before Roland-Garros, which boasts a strong field. All of the WTA's top 20 are competing, with Gauff defending her title. The American will face either Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva or Czech teenager Tereza Valentova in her opening match. World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka may face a tough opener against Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open winner returning from injury.
In the men's draw, British No 1 Cameron Norrie, who reached the Barcelona Open quarter-finals on clay, has a bye to the second round. Jack Draper is out for the remainder of the clay season as he continues to battle a series of injuries. World No 1 Jannik Sinner is on a record run of five consecutive Masters 1000 titles and aims to make it six at his home Masters. Novak Djokovic will be relieved he can only face the Italian in the final.
Sinner is aiming to replicate Djokovic's achievement as the only man to complete the career Golden Masters, winning all nine titles at this level. Rome is the only one the 24-year-old has yet to claim. Sinner is seeded to meet Jakub Mensik, one of the few players to beat him this year in the Qatar Open quarter-finals, in the third round, and rapidly rising Frenchman Arthur Fils, whom he defeated in the Madrid semi-finals, in the fourth round.
