From centre court to sidelines: Emma Raducanu scratched from Madrid Open

Emma Raducanu won’t be making her comeback at the Madrid Open as initially planned.

The Briton hasn’t played since Indian Wells, and she’s now decided to skip Madrid as well, delaying her return to the tour once again.

Raducanu has been dealing with a viral illness she picked up during that tournament and hasn’t played a match since Indian Wells.

With over 20 months away from tennis due to injuries, Raducanu’s ranking took a big hit. The 21-year-old is currently outside the top 200 on the WTA Tour but is still seen as one of Britain’s most promising young players.

She plans to use her protected ranking to enter the French Open qualifying draw later in May. But before that, there are still two more clay events in Rome and Rabat where she might get some matches under her belt if she feels fit enough.

Raducanu withdraws from Madrid Open; Replaced by Ajla Tomljanovic

She has now missed three consecutive events, including the Miami Open and Linz Open before this latest withdrawal from Madrid.

During her break from competition, reports have suggested that Raducanu has been putting a focus on improving her fitness as she prepares to return.

Her absence is part of a wider list of withdrawals at the ATP/WTA 1000 event, which also includes Carlos Alcaraz, who is sidelined by a wrist problem.

The women’s singles draw in Madrid has also seen several players withdraw, including Barbora Krejcikova, Emma Navarro, and Sonay Kartal from Britain.

Stepping into Raducanu’s place in the main draw will be Ajla Tomljanovic, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2021 and 2022.

What Emma Raducanu stands to lose in ranking points after withdrawing from Madrid

Raducanu made it to the second round in Madrid last year, so missing this year’s event will cost her just 35 ranking points.

The bigger concern comes with the Italian Open. She reached the fourth round there last season, and another absence could lead to a more noticeable drop in her ranking. If she skips Rome as well, she may fall outside the top 32 seeds on tour.

That would not only affect her French Open campaign but could also impact her seeding for Wimbledon, which comes soon after Roland Garros.

Without a seed at Grand Slams, she could draw anyone in the first round, including top players like Aryna Sabalenka.

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