Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Madrid Open, extending her absence from the WTA Tour by at least two weeks. The former US Open champion, who suffered a back injury in Madrid last year, will now miss the event that began on March 25. Her decision follows a disappointing first‑round loss to Maria Lourdes Carle in 2024.

Raducanu’s clay‑court campaign began brightly in 2022, but a back injury forced her retirement in Rome and a subsequent ankle operation sidelined her for most of 2023. In 2024 she returned to indoor clay, winning two Billie Jean King Cup ties and reaching Stuttgart’s quarter‑finals before the Madrid exit after a heavy defeat by Carle later week.

Her withdrawal comes after a mentally and emotionally exhausting season, with back issues flaring again in Strasbourg and at Roland Garros. By skipping the French Open, Raducanu has opted for a focused training block aimed at improving fitness for the second half of the year, a strategy that could reshape her clay‑court prospects in 2024.

Raducanu’s next clay opportunity arrives at the Italian Open in Rome from May 5, followed by Strasbourg and Rabat before the French Open. Fans will watch whether her recovery allows a return to form, as the British star seeks to reclaim her place among the continent’s top competitors after a season marred by injury in 2024.