EMMA RADUCANU is ending her 2025 tennis season prematurely due to two recent bouts of illness.
But in better news, she will go into the new season with a stable coaching set-up as Spanish guru Francisco Roig has agreed to extend their working partnership.
Raducanu’s past two matches on the WTA Tour were blighted by sickness when she had her blood pressure and pulse taken by medics in scenes that would have worried her camp and supporters.
The 22-year-old had to retire after five games of the second set of her opening Wuhan Open clash with Anna Li on October 7 as she struggled with dizziness amid the unseasonably hot and humid Chinese weather.
Then in her next competitive appearance, against Chinese wildcard Zhu Lin on Tuesday in the first round of the Ningbo Open, she twice needed on-court medical attention before losing in three sets.
Raducanu posted on Threads, a social media community, a photograph of herself seated on a hospital bed.
EMMA WORRY
Raducanu needs medical attention on court TWICE as doctors and physio rush on
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Plans to play in next week’s Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and then the Hong Kong Open in the last week of October have now been shelved – and she has withdrawn from both tournaments.
SunSport understands she felt unwell over the past seven to ten days and despite pushing herself to keep going with training and competition, she feels it is time now to focus on recovery.
It means she will return home to the UK for an end-of-season break before a pre-season training block can begin.
Raducanu – who won the £1.8million US Open in September 2021 as a rookie and qualifier – has faced criticism for hiring and firing top-level coaches over the past four years.
However there is a strong connection with Roig, 57, who was by Rafa Nadal’s side as he lifted 22 Grand Slam Championships during a stellar career.
Not only has he fitted well into her social circle during events – and her command of the Spanish language has certainly improved – he has made a significant difference on her tennis.
Though Roig had to return early to Barcelona this week, he is fully committed to the 2026 season. That will begin Down Under, with all roads leading to the Australian Open in Melbourne, which starts on January 12.
The pair will complete a block together somewhere, though the exact location is still to be determined.
As it stands, Raducanu is 29th on the live WTA Rankings and should that remain the case come the start of January, she is set to be seeded for the Oz Open.
The draws in the four Slams have been unkind to her this year as she has been knocked out early by major winners Iga Swiatek (Australia and French Open) and Aryna Salabenka (Wimbledon) and Elena Rybakina (US Open).
By being seeded, there is a greater chance she will not have to face one of the sport’s powerhouses until the second week of the major fortnight.
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