Emma Raducanu’s start to the 2026 season has followed a familiar pattern, with fitness issues a bigger concern than her performances on court in her opening tournament of the year.
The tennis grapevine was ripping with rumours suggesting Raducanu may pull out of the Australian swing of the tennis tour after a troubled off-season.
There was some surprise when she arrived in Perth to play for Great Britain at the United Cup, but the scale of her injury problems were exposed when she was forced to pull out of her opening match against Naomi Osaka.
She did make it on court and faded badly in her defeat against Greece’s Maria Sakkari, with the 2021 US Open champion revealing the depth of her injury issues after the match.
“I started hitting two weeks ago, so it’s been a good two and a bit months where I didn’t play,” said Raducanu, confirming her off-season had effectively been postponed.
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“I think today, being able to produce that, having not played, is just giving me confidence to what I can do when I do practise more. I know now I just need to get my head down, keep working.
“The season is still very, very young. Week one. There’s a long way to go.”
While fitness issues look set to dominate Raducanu’s agenda once again in the opening weeks of 2026, Grand Slam-winning great Mark Woodforde believes the 23-year-old showed signs that she can compete at the top during 2025.
Raducanu contested two tight battles with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and bounced back into the top 30 of the WTA Rankings, with Woodforde hoping to see more steps forward for the British No 1 this season.
“We shouldn’t judge her on that one result at the US Open,” Woodforde told Tennis365 in his role as an ambassador at the Bank of China Hong Kong Open.
“If she can replicate what she did in New York, that would be brilliant, but it was probably something that happened too soon, too quickly in her career.
“It’s not that you wouldn’t want it to happen to you, but in a country that has been starved of female players and desperate for her to do well, it must have been very difficult for her.
“What was encouraging was that over there were times last year when she seemed to be starting to build the foundation again to show some of that form that was discovered at the US Open a few years back.
“It is a hard one to judge right now, but I’m sure UK and British tennis praying on their hands and knees that she is successful. She has put some life back into British women’s tennis and the momentum for players like Katie Boulter has been inspired by the success of Emma Raducanu.”
Raducanu told Tennis365 in Wuhan last October that she was proud of the inspirational impact she had made on young girls in Britain since her US Open win, with Woodforde acknowledging the impact she has had.
“I am out at the Hong Kong Open this week and the young local players need someone to look up to and show them what is possible,” he added. “Having someone who is headlining in their own country can give everyone else such a lift.”
Pat Cash and Mark Woodforde spoke to Tennis365 at the Bank of China Hong Kong Open
READ MORE: Emma Raducanu’s injury concerns in recent weeks made public as she makes big decision
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