Emma Raducanu has ended her 2025 season early, withdrawing from her final two tournaments in Tokyo and Hong Kong as she continues to recover from illness.
The 22-year-old Briton, who has been unwell for more than a week, has decided to return home and focus on preparations for next year. She will continue her partnership with Spanish coach Francisco Roig, extending their agreement into the 2026 season.
Illness and fitness concerns
Raducanu’s recent struggles began in Wuhan, where she retired from her first-round match against Ann Li after having her blood pressure checked in humid conditions. At the Ningbo Open days later, she required medical attention again before losing in three sets to home favourite Zhu Lin.
The lower back issue that has occasionally troubled her this year also flared up during that match, leaving her movement restricted in the deciding set.
Promising season despite late setbacks
Despite ending the year with three consecutive defeats, Raducanu enjoyed one of her most consistent seasons since her 2021 US Open triumph. She climbed back into the world’s top 30, won 28 matches, and reached the semi-finals in Washington.
Her standout performance came at the Miami Open, where she advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating top-10 player Emma Navarro, before narrowly losing to Jessica Pegula. She also held three match points against Pegula in Beijing last month.
Continuing partnership with Roig
Raducanu began the season under Mark Petchey and joined forces with Roig, Rafael Nadal’s long-time former coach, ahead of the US Open. Their initial agreement ran until the end of 2025, but both have now decided to continue.
Speaking to BBC Sport earlier, Raducanu described their first meeting after Wimbledon as a “black ops mission” as they kept their trial secret. The partnership showed promise, highlighted by her strong performance against world number one Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati and a third-round run at the US Open.
Raducanu plans to begin a dedicated training block with Roig later this year as she aims to start 2026 fully fit and prepared for the new season.
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