Britain’s Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the French Open just 24 hours before qualifying was set to begin. The 21-year-old is not injured but has chosen to skip Roland Garros to focus on training and maintaining her fitness for the rest of the year. Raducanu, whose ranking was not high enough for direct entry into the main draw and who did not receive a wildcard, decided to use this time to build a strong foundation for the upcoming grass and hard-court seasons.
Raducanu’s decision follows her recent first-round loss at the Madrid Open, where she was defeated in straight sets by Argentine qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle. After the match, Raducanu expressed feeling “mentally and emotionally exhausted.” She has since been practicing at the National Tennis Centre in London, aiming to regain her confidence after a promising start to the clay season. Despite her early exit in Madrid, Raducanu had notable successes earlier, winning both her matches in Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup victory over France and reaching the quarter-finals in Stuttgart, where she was bested by world number one Iga Swiatek.
Currently ranked 212 in the world due to wrist and ankle operations last year, Raducanu was the third alternate for the French Open, benefiting from a protected ranking of 103. She has not yet confirmed her participation in the Nottingham Open, the first WTA event of the grass-court season next month. Raducanu emphasized the importance of using this period for a healthy training block to ensure her fitness for the remainder of the year.
