Top News

Emma Raducanu is hoping to return to competition later this month following her sudden withdrawal from the Italian Open. The British No. 1 has not played a match since March 8 and has pulled out of four consecutive tournaments due to a lingering post-viral illness. Raducanu had arrived in Rome over the weekend, hoping to make her comeback this week.

The world No. 30 practised on-site and completed her pre-tournament media duties on Tuesday afternoon, moments before announcing her withdrawal. But Raducanu is now hoping to play the WTA 500 event in Strasbourg, which kicks off on May 17 - the week before the French Open.

Raducanu also entered the Internationaux de Strasbourg as a wildcard last year, and beat then-sixth seed Daria Kasatkina before losing to Danielle Collins in the second round. She is now keen to return and get some matches in before the second Grand Slam tournament of the season, and will need a wildcard to get into the WTA 500 event again.

Before announcing her withdrawal in Rome, Raducanu said she had been feeling positive on the court after lingering symptoms from a viral illness forced her out of competition. "Last two months, in the beginning, it was quite difficult. Wasn't feeling the best physically. And I think it had just been lingering for a while. Whereas the last three weeks, I think I've really turned a corner and I feel so much better," she told reporters on-site.

"And that's a really positive thing for me. I feel great on the court. I feel like every day I'm working towards something. The break has helped me feel really motivated coming back, very hungry and happy to be out here training and putting out great sessions every day."

Given that she has not competed in two months and may now play just two tournaments on the clay, nobody could blame Raducanu if she wanted to skip the rest of the clay swing and go straight to grass. But that doesn't seem to be in her plans.

In Rome, she explained: "I think playing on the clay, getting any time on the clay for me, I'm not necessarily thinking everything for the grass. Because I know in the years to come, every time, every week that I get on the clay courts, it's going to help me for the future and longer term."

Raducanu also enjoyed a brief training block with Andrew Richardson - the coach who was in her corner during her 2021 US Open victory - at the Ferrer Academy in Spain last week. However, she has no plans to bring him back into her team full-time.

She was joined in Rome by good friend Jane O'Donoghue and is also working with hitting partner Alexis Canter and physiotherapist Emma Stewart.

By missing the Italian Open, Raducanu will lose 120 ranking points and risks not being one of the 32 seeded players at the French Open. This means she could face a top player in the early rounds. But she can make up some ranking points in Strasbourg if she is granted a wildcard.

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page