Emma Raducanu withdrew from the Italian Open in Rome due to illness following a viral infection.
The British number one had been training in Rome for the past few days and was fulfilling his media obligations before deciding to withdraw along with his team.
She has been absent from the Tour since Indian Wells in early March, and missed tournaments in Miami, Linz and Madrid due to ongoing effects of the virus she contracted in early February.
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Sky Sports’ Tim Henman and Martina Navratilova discuss whether Emma Raducanu needs to commit to a long-term coach and improve her physical ability off the court to reach her full potential
Raducanu also opted to sit out England’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Australia, but had hoped to play in Rome.
She was scheduled to face Solana Sierra or a qualifier in the second round on Thursday or Friday, but has yet to play a single clay court swing match.
Speaking to Sky Sports Tennis shortly before his withdrawal, Raducanu was asked about his fitness and health. She said, “It’s been a few weeks since I last played a game. I’ve made good progress and achieved good results in the last few weeks. I’m feeling really positive about where I’m going, how I’m playing and what I’m doing on the court every day. I’m motivated and I feel good going. This is a real win for me!”
Coach Andrew Richardson guided Raducanu to 2021 US Open title
Raducanu spent time last week training with Andrew Richardson at the Ferrer Tennis Academy near Alicante, Spain, where he is based.
Richardson was the coach by her side nearly five years ago when she shot to fame after qualifying to win the U.S. Open title.
Since parting ways with Francisco Roig, she has worked primarily with hitting partner Alexis Kanter, although she briefly turned to Mark Petchey again for a game against Indian Wells in March.
“I’ve been here a few weeks now and I’ve been able to really prepare for clay and it was nice to see Andrew again. We’ve had a good relationship, but overall I’ve had a really good few weeks in Europe. The clay in Europe is a little different than the clay back home, so overall I feel good,” said Raducanu.
The Englishman has been preparing for his return in Rome under the guidance of childhood coach Jane O’Donoghue and physiotherapist Emma Stewart.
“Right now I’m trying to get up to speed physically and play the point again. It’s completely different to practice and play the point again and set and play against top-level girls. I’m trying to see my game and react sharply to the ball. So that’s what I’m doing here. I’m coming here to get my eye on it,” said the former U.S. Open champion.
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Highlights of Emma Laducanu vs. Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells
The 23-year-old last played on March 8, losing to Amanda Anisimova 6-1, 6-1 in the third round in Indian Wells.
In a subsequent speech, Raducanu admitted that she felt a lack of power contributed to her understatement.
“I obviously need to be aggressive when playing against those players, but I think I still have a long way to go to do that. I need to play to my strengths and maybe mix it up a little bit more,” she said.
Raducanu may still play in warm-up matches before the French Open
Raducanu is striving to qualify for the French Open
Raducanu could still play on red clay for the French Open, which starts from Sunday, May 24th to Sunday, June 7th.
The Strasbourg International (May 17-23) or the Rabat Grand Prix (May 18-23) are her last options before Roland Garros.
British number three Katie Boulter will be hoping to continue her strong start to the clay court season after reaching the quarter-finals in Rouen and winning the Madrid Open.
She will play her opening match against German Eva Lys on Wednesday.
Cameron Norrie has made a good start to 2026 so far, reaching the third round at the Australian Open, the quarter-finals at Indian Wells and Barcelona, reclaiming the British No. 1 title and returning to the top 20.
The two-time clay court ATP titleholder will receive a bye in the first round, while Jacob Fearnley, Jan Choynski, Jack Pinnington-Jones and Billy Harris are all aiming to qualify and qualify for the main tournament.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic can only meet in the final.
The Serbian will be making his first appearance since March, when he lost to Jack Draper at Indian Wells.
If Sinner wins the Foro Italico, he will join Djokovic as the only men to complete a career Golden Masters.
Djokovic, 38, has won all nine ATP Masters 1000 events twice.
When will Italian Open 2026 be held?
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Highlights of the Madrid Open final between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev
The women’s draw will begin on Tuesday, May 5th, while the men’s draw will begin on Wednesday, May 6th – and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Tennis.
The event will run through finals weekend on May 16th and 17th.
The daytime session starts at 10am and the evening session starts at 6pm.
Sky Sports customers will have access to over 50% more live sport this year at no extra cost, by watching the ATP and WTA Tour, live on Sky Sports, and streaming on the NOW and Sky Sports apps. Click here for more information.
