Emma Raducanu has confirmed she will not compete at this year’s US Open, the Grand Slam where she etched her name into sporting history half a decade ago.
The 23-year-old British No. 1 continues her recovery from a stress fracture in her lower right leg, an injury that has kept her sidelined since before Wimbledon.
It was at Flushing Meadows in 2021 that Raducanu captured the nation’s imagination, claiming the title as a qualifier in just her fourth professional tournament at the remarkable age of 18.
Her absence from New York represents another painful chapter in what has been a deeply frustrating campaign.
Emma Raducanu has suffered another setback and has been ruled out of the US Open
| GETTY
The injury first emerged on the eve of Wimbledon, when what had initially been described as a minor lower leg niggle was diagnosed as a stress fracture.
Following discussions with her medical team, it became clear that further healing time was required before any return to the court.
Raducanu has offered glimpses of her rehabilitation through social media.
One clip showed her perched atop a courtside bin whilst hitting balls, her right leg encased in a protective boot. “not in the bin but on the bin,” she quipped in the caption.
Emma Raducanu’s injury problems have followed her from Wimbledon
| REUTERS
More recently, footage from a Swiss training stint revealed encouraging signs, with Raducanu back on her feet and practising serves, though the boot remained firmly in place on a clay surface.
This season has been nothing short of torturous for Britain’s most celebrated young tennis talent. Before the campaign even began in earnest, bone bruising in her foot disrupted pre-season preparations.
A post-viral illness then struck, ruling her out of action for over two months between March and May.
The cumulative toll of these setbacks has been severe. Raducanu’s ranking has slipped to world No. 49, a position that scarcely reflects the ability of a former Grand Slam champion.
What ought to have been a year of consolidation and progress has instead been defined by medical rooms and enforced absences from the tour.
With the US Open not concluding until 13 September, Raducanu will have been away from competitive tennis for a full three months by the time the final ball is struck in New York.
It is understood that the former champion is deeply saddened to miss a tournament that holds such profound personal significance.
Flushing Meadows remains the venue where she produced one of the most extraordinary achievements in British sporting history, and her connection to the event runs far deeper than most.
For now, however, recovery must take precedence, with Raducanu and her team focused on ensuring a full and lasting return to fitness.
