Britain’s Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from her final two tournaments of the year — in Tokyo and Hong Kong — due to illness, bringing an early end to a promising 2025 season.
The 22-year-old, who has been battling an illness for the past ten days, decided to return home to recover before beginning preparations for the 2026 season. Her off-season plans will include training once again under coach Francisco Roig, with whom she has agreed to extend her partnership.
Raducanu first worked with Rafael Nadal’s former coach after Wimbledon this year, and the pair enjoyed immediate success, notably during the US Open and Cincinnati Masters, where she narrowly lost to world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
The Briton’s season ended on a difficult note, retiring from her first-round match against Ann Li in Wuhan after struggling in humid conditions and later requiring medical attention again during her Ningbo Open loss to Zhu Lin. She was also hindered by a recurring lower back problem.
Despite the setbacks, Raducanu’s 2025 season marked a notable resurgence — she rose back into the world’s top 30 for the first time in over three years, won 28 matches, and reached the semi-finals in Washington. Her standout performance came at the Miami Open in March, where she defeated eighth seed Emma Navarro en route to the quarter-finals.
Raducanu said her initial meeting with Roig was like a “black ops mission”, as they tried to keep their partnership secret. The collaboration will now continue, with a training block planned for later this year.
She previously worked with Mark Petchey until Wimbledon, before Roig joined her camp ahead of the US Open, where she reached the third round, losing to Elena Rybakina.
While her season ends with three straight defeats, Raducanu’s improved form and renewed stability in her coaching setup suggest a positive outlook for 2026.
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