Emma Raducanu Aims for WTA Tour Return in Strasbourg

Emma Raducanu targeted a return to the WTA Tour in Strasbourg on 17 May 2026 following her withdrawal from the Italian Open due to health concerns. The British number one depended on a wildcard to enter the tournament, having missed the entry deadline.

Raducanu, 23, had received a wildcard for last year’s WTA 500 event, where she defeated top 20 player Daria Kasatkina before falling to American Danielle Collins. The WTA event in Strasbourg sought confirmation on whether she would receive a wildcard.

She withdrew from the Italian Open late on 3 May 2026, shortly after completing media interviews. Raducanu explained that she did not feel fully recovered from a post-viral infection that had kept her away from competition since March. “I had six weeks almost of doing nothing just trying to recover from the virus, and it takes a lot out of you physically,” she stated before withdrawing.

The Strasbourg tournament took place the week before the French Open, for which Raducanu would no longer be seeded if she was fit enough to compete. Earlier in the week, British number three Katie Boulter exited the Rome Masters in the first round after losing to Eva Lys. Boulter managed to recover in the second set but ultimately lost the match with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. The 29-year-old had previously exited the Madrid Open in the second round after a defeat against world number five Jessica Pegula.

In other updates, Jacob Fearnley’s match against France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was suspended due to heavy rain in Rome and was scheduled to be completed on Wednesday. Fearnley was leading the first set 5-3 at the time of the match's suspension.