British tennis star Emma Raducanu has pulled out of the 2026 Miami Open, citing illness and lingering post-viral symptoms as the reason for her absence, marking another setback in a challenging season.
Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, was scheduled to compete in the WTA 1000 in Miami, Florida, which runs until March 29. She reached the second round as the 24th seed, but decided to withdraw as she is still recovering.
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The 23-year-old reportedly contracted the virus during her Middle East tour in February and post-viral symptoms persisted, ultimately forcing her to miss one of the most prominent hardcourt events on the calendar.
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Raducanu’s resignation comes amid a season marred by fitness issues, including an offseason foot injury, a split with longtime coach Francisco Roig after the Australian Open and early exits in Doha and Dubai.
Raducanu’s 2026 campaign reflected inconsistency: she posted a 7–7 win-loss record on the WTA Tour, with her notable victory coming against then world No. 86 Anastasia Zakharova.
RADUCAN’S FACE IS SINKING OK
The decision to withdraw from Miami means she will miss out on defending the 215 ranking points she gained by reaching the quarter-finals of the same event in 2025, which may impact her WTA rankings, where she has hovered outside the top 30.
Last year in Miami, Raducana produced one of her stronger performances, advancing to the quarterfinals before falling to fourth seed Jessica Pegula in a three-set battle. The run was one of her deeper WTA 1000 results since her Grand Slam breakthrough.
Its withdrawal will also affect Great Britain’s representation in Miami; alongside Raducanu, other players such as Sonay Kartal also withdrew due to injury, changing the shape of Britain’s presence in the draw.
Raducanu’s team has indicated that she plans to rest and fully rehabilitate before returning to competition ahead of the April clay season, with events such as the Linz Open expected to feature on her schedule.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
17 March 2026 23:41 IST
