Emma Raducanu has brought an early end to her season following physical struggles in China.
The British No. 1 had hoped to put together a strong finish to 2025 to guarantee herself a seeding at the Australian Open in January but that is now up in the air.
There is good news on the coaching front though, with the 22-year-old and experienced Spaniard Francisco Roig reaching a deal to continue their work together in 2026.
Raducanu retired during the second set of her clash against Ann Li in Wuhan last week with dizziness in hot and humid temperatures, and later posted a picture on social media of herself at a doctor’s office.
She said she felt better and chose to play the Ningbo Open this week but was clearly not 100% and again lost her opening match.
Raducanu won the first set against Zhu Lin but looked lethargic in the second and had her blood pressure checked, while she struggled with a recurrence of lower back issues in the decider and was barely moving by the end.
She had been due to play in next week’s Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and then the Hong Kong Open beginning on Oct. 27, but has instead decided to focus on recovery.
The PA news agency reports that the former US Open champion has been feeling unwell over the last 10 days and has made the decision not to push her body further.
She will now take some time away from the court before linking up with Roig, the long-time former coach of Rafael Nadal who she began working with in Aug. for a preseason training block.
It has been an up-and-down season for Raducanu, who experienced a difficult first few months on and off court, with then coach Nick Cavaday stepping down because of ill health before she was left cowering in tears during a match in Dubai after spotting a man exhibiting fixated behaviour in the crowd.
She had won only three matches before at the Miami Open in mid-March but a temporary coaching arrangement with Mark Petchey bore immediate fruit as she reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
That heralded a fine spring and summer, with Raducanu consistently winning matches and nearly halving her ranking, but the optimism that surrounded her when she left New York with Roig in town and having won matches at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2021 has taken another dip.
– Emma Raducanu struggles with back issue in Ningbo Open exit- Raducanu insists she’s making progress despite painful defeats- Raducanu withdraws from first round match of Wuhan Open
She made a late decision to pull out of representing Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals and will have bridges to rebuild on that front, while she won just two matches in four tournaments in Asia, losing from match points up against both Barbora Krejčíková and Jessica Pegula.
Raducanu may have done enough to be seeded in Melbourne, boosting her chances of avoiding the sort of draws she has faced at grand slams this season, and she has given herself a good platform to build from.
Having gone into this year’s Australian Open ranked 61st, Raducanu has elevated herself to 29th in the world while, crucially, she has shown her body can mostly stand up to a full season.
If she can continue to gel with Roig, find stability again on the physical training front and put together a strong pre-season, there should be high hopes for a positive 2026.
