Emma Raducanu has sustained another significant setback as she opted to withdraw from the Miami Open due to illness. Raducanu struggled with a virus throughout February, suffering poor opening-round losses in Doha and Dubai. She is said to still have post-viral symptoms.
Raducanu had been due to compete in Miami as the 24th seed and she received a first-round bye, meaning she would not have played until Thursday or Friday. However, the 23-year-old decided not to wait until the last minute before making a decision on her participation.
Last year, she recorded one of her best results in Miami by reaching the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 for the first time. Her performances sparked a solid run of results, culminating in her return to the top 30. However, the her progress has stalled badly in 2026.
The first three months of the season have proved extremely challenging. As has been the case throughout her career, Raducanu has struggled to remain fit. She was injured for almost the entirety of the off-season due to a foot problem and she was still working through static feeding drills days before her opening match of the season at the United Cup.
Aside from a run to the final of the WTA 250 Cluj in Romania, she has struggled to win consecutive matches. Raducanu is 7-7 this year with her win against Anastasia Zakharova, who was world No 86 at the time, being her highest-ranked victory. Raducanu is also without a permanent coach after opting to part ways with Francisco Roig after the Australian Open.
Raducanu has decided against the arduous trip to Melbourne for Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup tie against Australia, meaning she will not compete again until the clay-court season begins in April.
