Emma Raducanu's 2026 season has been defined by frustration, and the fallout from her latest injury setback is now showing up in brutal fashion on the WTA rankings list. A stress fracture in her foot, sustained after a demanding three-match run to the Queen's Club final in June, has sidelined the British No. 1 and forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon, the Canadian Open, and Cincinnati.
The timing could hardly be worse. Raducanu reached the semifinals at the Washington WTA 500 event this same stretch last year, and those points are now rolling off her ranking total. According to the live WTA rankings, she is set to drop 12 places to No. 49, with further losses anticipated. If she also misses the US Open, as currently seems likely, another 130 points disappear, potentially pushing her toward the No. 85 mark.
That figure is significant. Dropping that far would likely leave Raducanu outside the direct acceptance threshold for top-tier WTA events, meaning the 2021 US Open champion could face qualifying rounds upon her return. The goodwill and wildcards that followed her breakthrough title have largely faded, with tournament organisers now having stronger candidates to fill their draws.
Former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski weighed in on the situation through his podcast, stressing that consistent training habits are critical for professional longevity. He pointed to Roger Federer as a model, noting that even during family holidays at the height of his career, Federer kept hitting balls and maintained his gym routine. Rusedski believes stop-start cycles are damaging and that Raducanu needs a stable team and uninterrupted preparation to reverse her fortunes.
TennisDraw users tracking Raducanu's potential return events will want to watch the rankings picture closely over the coming weeks.
