British tennis star and former Grand Slam champion Emma Raducanu has recently laid bare her plans for the 2026 season. The 23-year-old last featured in the opening round of the Ningbo Open, where she fell to Zhu Lin in three sets despite taking the lead. Raducanu appeared visibly lethargic during the match and had her vitals checked midway through.
In fact, she struggled with a recurrence of lower-back issues in the decider and was barely moving by the end. Raducanu reportedly fell unwell during the Asian swing and, to avoid further strain, opted to shut down her season in mid-October. She has since remained away from competition.
Emma Raducanu Reveals What the 2026 Season Could Hold for Her
The World No. 29 closed out the 2026 season with a 28-22 win-loss record, with her standout results including a semifinal run in Washington and quarterfinal appearances in Miami and at the Queen’s Club championships.
As fans eagerly await her return, the Brit has shared an update on what the future may hold for her on the tour. Speaking to the Tennis Gazette recently, Raducanu revealed that next year, she aims to play fewer matches and integrate fitness into her warm-ups, rather than solely dedicating sessions to it. She emphasized that consistent, small efforts for overall body health have been most effective.
“I would say next year I hope to play less than I did this year, but I think also just incorporating into my warm ups fitness, so it’s not just my fitness sessions which are set for it. You just have to try and drip feed as much as you can in for the overall health of your body, little and often, is the biggest thing that has helped,” she said.
Raducanu added that she has found greater inner peace and is much happier with her approach to tennis. She values the team she has, their collaborative environment, and feels optimistic about the progress they are making together.
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“Most of all, I just think I have found a lot more peace with myself, and I am a lot happier with how I am approaching my tennis and how I’m approaching the team I have and what we are building and the environment we have,” she added.
Raducanu would certainly look to turn the tide in the 2026 season with Rafael Nadal’s former coach, Francisco Roig, at her corner. The 23-year-old brought in Roig in August 2025 for the latter part of the season, and their partnership is set to continue into 2026.
