Emma Raducanu spoke to the media before pulling out of the Italian Open with illness

Emma Raducanu has pulled out of the 2026 Italian Open due to illness, adding another setback to her season.

The Brit hasn’t featured in a match since Indian Wells, which was 59 days ago.

Raducanu had planned to make her return in Rome but withdrew shortly after wrapping up her media obligations.

Emma Raducanu withdraws from the Italian Open after telling the media she was ‘good to go’

Before pulling out, Raducanu gave Sky Sports a fitness update, sharing her mindset and how she felt ahead of what was meant to be her return.

“I think it’s been a long few weeks since I last competed,” she said. “I’ve made good progress, I’ve made good gains in the last few weeks, and I’m really feeling positive about where I’m headed, how I’m playing and what I’m doing on the court each day, and I feel motivated and I feel good to go.”

“That’s a real win for me, and I’m just enjoying every day that I’m putting out.”

She also spoke about finding renewed motivation since returning to training.

“I think I’ve found a spark in the last few weeks since I’ve started training again,” she said. “I feel a big difference in how much energy I’m putting into it. So yeah, very motivated for what’s ahead.”

The 2021 US Open champion was asked if she had lost that spark over recent weeks.

She responded: “I would say it’s more difficult when you’re week to week to maintain it [spark]. If you’re not necessarily playing well, then it’s hard to stay motivated. But after my training block these past few weeks, things are starting to look up.”

Emma Raducanu faces key choice following Rome pullout

Emma Raducanu has missed a big part of the 2026 clay-court season. Her peers have settled in, with several already claiming titles on clay. Raducanu is already having to play catch-up after missing so much time.

Even her most optimistic fans might find it tough to back her for a deep run at Roland Garros this year. That said, there’s always a path forward.

She could choose to skip the rest of the clay season, focus on recovery, and aim for a stronger return during the grass-court swing.

The home crowd behind her at Wimbledon could give her the lift she needs. And if she’s healthy by then, there’s no reason why she couldn’t put together a strong run at SW19 in 2026.

It remains to be seen how she’ll approach the next few months, but hopefully it won’t be long before we see her competing again.

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