Home » Sports » Tennis

Emma Raducanu’s inactivity sees her hit two-year low – but tennis star has good reason not to return until January

EMMA RADUCANU will be eligible for special fitness status – provided she resists the urge to return to competition this year. The former US Open champion, 23, has not played since suffering a stress fracture in her right foot on…

By Rob Maul · The Sun

Published: Tuesday, 13 October 2026 at 9:38 AM

Key Things to Know

Rob Maul argues Emma Raducanu should delay her return until January to secure a protected ranking.
Raducanu dropped to world No. 107 after a four-month absence caused by a foot stress fracture.
A six-month absence allows players to freeze their ranking to enter up to eight tournaments.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Rob Maul reports that Emma Raducanu has dropped to 107th in the world rankings after being sidelined for four months due to a right foot stress fracture. The article explains that Raducanu would benefit from delaying her competitive return until at least January, as a full six-month absence would make her eligible for a protected ranking from the WTA.

Sitting out until January would allow the 23-year-old to utilize her pre-injury ranking of world No. 31 to enter tournaments, including the 2027 Australian Open main draw without playing qualifiers. Raducanu has not played since her June loss to Donna Vekic at Queen's and is currently rehabilitating alongside coach Andrew Richardson.

Read the full article on The Sun

Emma Raducanu’s inactivity sees her hit two-year low – but tennis star has good reason not to return until January

More Tennis News

Never Miss a Sports Update