When will Emma Raducanu return to tennis and what is her schedule for rest of 2026 after missing US Open and Wimbledon due to injury
Updated 18/09/2026 at 10:26 GMT+1
The summer of 2026 looked as though it could be a bright one for Emma Raducanu when she made the final of Queen's, having played some of her best tennis since her shock US Open win in 2021, but she has not played on the WTA Tour since due to injury.
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Raducanu was beaten in the Queen's final by Donna Vekic but said it had been an "incredibly special" week that "deserves to be celebrated".
Unfortunately for Raducanu, she has not been on court since, pulling out of Wimbledon on the eve of the tournament due to a lower leg stress fracture.
She also missed the entire North American hard-court swing, including the US Open, which has seen her fall from No. 31 in the WTA rankings after her Queen's run (high enough to be seeded for Grand Slams) to No. 89 (not high enough to guarantee entry into all WTA 1000 tournaments).
With more ranking points set to drop in the coming weeks, Raducanu could soon be out of the top 100. That may mean she needs to enter qualifying at Grand Slams.
When will Raducanu return from injury?
Fears were raised about Raducanu's participation at Wimbledon when she was seen leaving the tournament wearing a protective boot.
When she confirmed her withdrawal she said: "The niggle I’ve been managing has developed into a stress fracture and I’ve been medically advised to stop pushing through."
That was over two months ago and Raducanu has recently returned to the practice court at the National Tennis Centre and posted a short clip of herself serving on social media.
Raducanu was on the entry list for the WTA 1000 China Open in Beijing, which starts on September 28, but no longer features.
Most of the top players on the WTA Tour will be in action at the tournament, including newly-crowned US Open champion and world No. 1 Elena Rybakina, as well as Aryna Sabalenka.
Raducanu has only played Beijing once - in 2025 - when she lost to Jessica Pegula in three sets in the third round.
But she will not be making her return from injury at the tournament.
British No. 1 Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal (using a protected ranking after injury) are on the entry list for the China Open.
What is Raducanu's schedule for 2026?
Although she is missing the China Open, Raducanu could play several more tournaments in the Far East this year.
The WTA 1000 Wuhan Open, which starts on October 12, follows the China Open, and there is also the WTA 500 Ningbo Open, starting on October 19.
There are two tournaments in Japan (the Japan Open on October 19 and Pan Pacific Open on October 26) and also the Hong Kong Open on November 2.
Raducanu was scheduled to play the Pan Pacific Open and Hong Kong Open last season but pulled out due to injury.
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There is also the chance that Raducanu decides against playing again this season, and instead focuses on being in the best shape for the 2027 season, with the Australian Open beginning on January 17.
Who is coaching Raducanu?
Raducanu reunited with Andrew Richardson in May, the coach who oversaw her shock US Open triumph as a teenager.
Raducanu surprisingly parted ways with Richardson following the US Open and has been through several coaches in the last few years.
But she has struggled to establish a long-term partnership with any of her subsequent appointments and has now returned to Richardson.
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Asked whether splitting with Richardson in 2021 was an error, Raducanu said: "I think at that time it was very difficult to say I made a mistake because in my life everything changed upside down, and I didn't really think I had the most handle over the situation in the sense that I was being pulled left, right.
"I didn't really know what was going on and, I think, everything also happened very quickly then.
"What it taught me is a lot of experiences over the past few years. It taught me a lot of what I didn't want and it taught me that I really just value having people that I trust and connect with around me. So it's really nice to have that feeling back."
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