Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the 2026 Linz WTA due to a strange virus that has been plaguing her since last February, causing her to miss several tournaments at a time when she was rediscovering her best form. Therefore, it is worth reviewing what is really happening to her and the consequences this has had in recent weeks.
To understand Emma Raducanu's situation, we need to go back two months in time, specifically to the WTA 250 Cluj Napoca, where the British tennis player had a mixed experience. It was in Romania where Raducanu had her best tournament of the season, reaching the final while dropping only one set and showing that she was returning to the level that led her to win the US Open at one point. However, it was also there that she caught a chest infection at the worst possible moment.
In the tournament final, Raducanu was soundly defeated by Sorana Cirstea with a score of 6-0 6-2 in just one hour, displaying a completely different level than seen in the days before. In fact, she was unrecognizable. However, the cause was that virus which would directly impact her next tournament, the Doha WTA 1000, where she had to retire in the third set against Camila Osorio in the first round.

Raducanu's Situation Deteriorates in Recent Weeks
Nevertheless, Raducanu decided to play in the Dubai WTA 1000 a few days later to see if she felt better, but that was not the case. The British tennis player lost to Antonia Ruzic in the first round, extending her poor run and leaving bad impressions. While she did manage to win her first match in Indian Wells, Amanda Anisimova dominated her in the second round with a double 6-1, but the situation worsened in the Miami Masters 1000, where she opted not to participate despite having traveled to Florida.
Raducanu had planned to play her first clay-court tournament in Linz, but it seems that she is not yet physically ready for it. Even so, Emma remains 28th in the rankings and did not have points to defend in Linz, but now that she was climbing back up and approaching the top positions, this is a hard blow both for her professional interests and her confidence.
This virus is just the latest setback for Raducanu in 2026, as she has faced several issues. She started the season nursing an injury since the end of the previous year, parted ways with Francis Roig after the Australian Open, stating that she currently didn't need anyone else on her team, and now she is dealing with a chest infection causing her more problems than anticipated.
Cette actualité est une traduction automatique. Vous pouvez lire la nouvelle originale El misterio alrededor del extraño virus de Raducanu

