Raducanu ends season and will keep coach for 2026

LONDON: Britain’s Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from her final two tournaments of the season — in Tokyo and Hong Kong — as she continues to recover from an illness that has affected her for the past 10 days. The 22-year-old will return home to rest before beginning her preparations for the 2026 season.

Raducanu, who rose back into the world’s top 30 this year, will continue working with Spanish coach Francisco Roig next season. The pair began their partnership ahead of the US Open after a brief trial following Wimbledon. Roig, formerly part of Rafael Nadal’s coaching team, has been credited with helping Raducanu regain consistency this year.

The Briton’s campaign ended on a difficult note. She retired during her first-round match against Ann Li in Wuhan last week after suffering from low blood pressure in humid conditions. At the Ningbo Open, she again required medical attention and was hampered by a recurring lower back issue during her opening-round loss to China’s Zhu Lin.

Despite the late setbacks, Raducanu enjoyed a promising year — winning 28 matches and reaching the semi-finals in Washington and the quarter-finals of the Miami Open, where she beat eighth seed Emma Navarro. She also pushed world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka to three sets in Cincinnati and reached the third round of the US Open.

A pre-season training block with Roig is planned for the end of the year as Raducanu looks to build on her resurgence in 2026.