Raducanu Withdraws from Madrid Open Due to Viral Illness
British tennis player Emma Raducanu will extend her absence from the WTA tour to nearly two months after withdrawing from the Madrid Open ahead of the upcoming tournament. Raducanu has been sidelined since early March due to a viral illness.
Her last competitive match was a 6-1, 6-1 defeat to Amanda Anisimova in the second round of the Indian Wells Open on 8 March. Although she briefly trained on-site at the Miami Open about a week later, Raducanu withdrew from that event citing lingering symptoms from the viral illness. This illness had initially affected her during the Middle East swing in February, which she acknowledged had contributed to her subpar performances.
Following her withdrawal from Miami, Raducanu took significant time off from training. She has only recently resumed training and now faces the challenge of rebuilding her match fitness. According to her representatives, Raducanu is optimistic about competing at the Italian Open in Rome, scheduled to begin on 4 May. If she participates, it will mark her return to competition after missing most of the clay court season, a surface she regards as her least favorable.
Raducanu’s Challenging 2026 Season
This current hiatus represents the latest disruption in Raducanu’s career, which has been marked by ups and downs. The latter half of her 2025 season was her most stable, featuring regular tournament play, solid performances, and a return to the top 30 rankings. However, the first four months of 2026 have been difficult.
Raducanu began the year recovering from a foot injury sustained late in the previous season, which limited her training intensity until just days before her season opener at the United Cup, where she lost to Maria Sakkari. Her only notable success came at the WTA 250 event in Cluj, Romania—her father’s country—where she reached the final as the No. 1 seed. This marked the only time she has won consecutive matches since the US Open in August. Her overall 2026 record stands at 7 wins and 7 losses.
At the start of the season, Raducanu had implemented technical changes to her forehand, which underperformed during her Australian tournaments. After considering reverting to her previous technique, she decided to end her six-month coaching partnership with Francisco Roig. Roig has since ceased coaching Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and begun working with six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek.
Withdrawals Impact Madrid Open Field
The Madrid Open will also be missing several ATP stars this week. Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from his home Masters 1000 event due to a wrist injury sustained at the Barcelona Open. Novak Djokovic, who has competed only once since reaching the Australian Open final, also withdrew due to injury. Additionally, it remains uncertain whether Jack Draper, last year’s Madrid finalist, will participate after retiring from his first-round match in Barcelona.
Rybakina Claims Second Porsche at Stuttgart Open
Meanwhile, top seed Elena Rybakina secured her second title of the season by defeating Karolina Muchova 7-5, 6-1 to win the Stuttgart Open on Sunday, earning a Porsche car for the second time in her career.
While the world No. 2 added another trophy to her collection, it was the tournament’s traditional Porsche award that particularly delighted Rybakina. The first Porsche she won in 2024 motivated her to obtain a driver’s license last year. She was visibly pleased as she drove her newly won second sports car down the ramp and parked it on the arena’s red clay.
This victory elevated Rybakina into an elite group, making her only the fourth active player to win at least five WTA-level titles on multiple surfaces. She joins Venus Williams, Elina Svitolina, and Iga Swiatek in this exclusive company.
“It’s an amazing tournament, we love coming back here... It really feels like home and you just want to come back every year,” Rybakina said. “Super happy for the second win here in Stuttgart and this beautiful car.“
