Emma Raducanu's participation at this year's US Open is looking increasingly uncertain, and the clock is ticking in a worrying way for the British No. 1.
This year's tournament carries extra emotional weight for Raducanu, marking five years since her extraordinary 2021 triumph, when she came through qualifying and went ten matches unbeaten without dropping a set. That fairytale run launched her into global superstardom and unlocked major sponsorship deals, but the years since have been defined by injury disruption rather than on-court consistency.
In 2026, Raducanu has managed just 11 match wins, hampered by a combination of physical setbacks and a virus that derailed long stretches of her season. She showed genuine promise by reaching the final of the WTA 500 event at Queen's Club last month, but that run came at a steep cost: a stress fracture in her foot that forced her to miss Wimbledon entirely.
Since then, she has withdrawn from both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open, leaving the US Open as a major question mark. She has also been left off the mixed doubles draw, a notable absence given her high-profile pairing with Carlos Alcaraz at last year's edition. Her confirmation that she will not represent Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup finals after the US Open provides little clarity either way.
Perhaps most telling is the absence of any visible return to training. Her recent social media activity suggests she is currently vacationing in Switzerland, and experts believe she would need to be back on court within two weeks to have any realistic shot at competing in New York.
Former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski, speaking on his podcast, acknowledged the stop-start pattern of her career is not sustainable at the highest level.
TennisDraw users have been cautious about backing Raducanu deep in their US Open bracket picks given her fitness uncertainty.
