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Emma Raducanu ends 2025 season early after illness, confirms new coaching plans

Originally posted on HITC | By Peter Lynch | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 12:53 PM ET

Emma Raducanu’s difficult run of form continued at the Ningbo Open, where she was knocked out in the first round by Zhu Lin.

The British number one was beaten 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 by the Chinese wildcard in her WTA 500 match and needed treatment during the contest. It came just days after she had retired from her Wuhan Open clash with Ann Li due to illness.

Raducanu ended up pulling out while trailing Li 6-1, 4-1. The American offered a few kind words on social media after the withdrawal:

“Just want to say I hope Emma is ok. Health comes first. Good luck in your next tournament,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

This year has seen Raducanu finish with a record of 28 wins and 21 losses across all tournaments so far. She hasn’t managed to pick up a title yet this season but is still ranked inside the WTA’s top 30.

Emma Raducanu decides on rest of 2024 season and future with coach

Those will be the final numbers for her year, as she has chosen to pull out of her last two scheduled events.

According to BBC Sport, Raducanu won’t play in Tokyo or Hong Kong as she continues to recover from an illness that has kept her out of action for 10 days.

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The Pan Pacific Open Tennis, a WTA 500 event, is set for next week in Tokyo, followed by the WTA 250 Hong Kong Tennis Open. But Raducanu will not take part in either tournament.

Instead, she has chosen to head back home to focus on recovery and begin preparing for next season with coach Francisco Roig.

Raducanu brought Roig on board in August. The Spaniard had previously been part of Rafael Nadal’s team during his illustrious career that saw him claim 22 Grand Slam titles.

Emma Raducanu makes smart decision to end her 2025 season early

Raducanu’s decision to call time on her 2025 campaign looks like a sensible move, with little left to gain at this point in the year.

She currently sits 26th in the Race to the WTA Finals and is well outside qualification range. Turning attention to a better start in 2026 seems like the right call.

The Briton isn’t alone in making this choice, with several others across both tours opting for early finishes as well.

Elina Svitolina, Paula Badosa, and Daria Kasatkina have all made similar decisions on the WTA Tour.

Raducanu’s only title remains her remarkable run at the 2021 US Open when she defeated Leylah Fernandez as an 18-year-old without dropping a set.

A return to title contention should be one of her targets for next year, but given how often injuries have interrupted her progress so far, staying healthy may be just as important.

While she has reclaimed her place as British number one, Raducanu is still some distance from matching her career-high ranking of world No.10.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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