Emma Raducanu has been spotted back on the practice court at London’s National Tennis Centre as she works towards a comeback from the injury that has cost her a place in the world’s top 100.
The 23-year-old, who has not played since suffering a stress fracture in her right leg during her run to the Queen’s Club final in June, has reportedly decided to keep working with coach Andrew Richardson — the man who guided her to the 2021 US Open title.
Raducanu’s four-month absence has seen her slide from world No. 31 to No. 107 in the WTA rankings, ending a run of more than two years inside the top 100. She is now the third-ranked British woman, behind Katie Boulter at No. 54 and Francesca Jones at No. 104.
A promising season cut short
Raducanu’s fall is striking because her 2026 season had been heading in the right direction. She was ranked 24th in March and reached two WTA Tour finals — at the Transylvania Open and at Queen’s Club in June, where she played in front of a home crowd and earned 335 ranking points.
Days after the Queen’s final, where she lost to Donna Vekic, the shin injury ended her grass-court season before Wimbledon began. She withdrew from her home Grand Slam on the eve of the tournament, then missed the North American hard-court swing, the US Open and the Asian tournaments.
Every week without a match has removed a result from last year’s total, and with no new points to replace them, her ranking has slid steadily until she slipped out of the top 100.
“I’ve done everything possible to try to get to the start line,” she said when announcing her Wimbledon withdrawal. “Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process.”
Back training in London
According to reports, Raducanu was seen practicing at the National Tennis Centre in south-west London this week. Her team has declined to clarify her plans for the rest of the year, but her name is missing from the entry lists for the remaining tournaments of the 2026 season — suggesting she is planning to return only when the new season begins in Australia.
Her rehab is continuing, and she is still working with Richardson, who she brought back into her team in May.
The sight of Raducanu back on court will be welcome news for British tennis fans. Since her fairytale US Open triumph in 2021, her career has been a stop-start story of injuries and coaching changes. The 2023 season was lost entirely to multiple surgeries, and it took her several months after returning in 2024 to climb back inside the top 100.
This time, though, the circumstances are different. Her ranking slide is not about form — it is pure arithmetic. Points earned in the second half of last year have simply expired with no new results to replace them. When she does return, the tennis that took her to two finals this year should still be there.
A little-known rule could help
There may be good news ahead. A little-known WTA rule could see Raducanu return to her pre-injury ranking of world No. 31 — but only if her injury persists until the tour’s season ends in 2026.
Raducanu will be eligible for special fitness status provided she resists the urge to return to competition this year. The rule is designed to protect players whose seasons are wrecked by long-term injury, allowing them to re-enter tournaments at their pre-injury ranking rather than starting from scratch.
With a realistic return scenario pointing to the start of the 2027 season in Australia, the patient approach could pay off — giving London’s Grand Slam champion the best platform for a proper comeback.
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