Emma Raducanu has pulled out of the 2026 Miami Open just before the main draw, citing post-viral symptoms from an illness contracted in the Middle East last month. The 23-year-old Briton, currently ranked 23rd with a 7-7 record this year, reached the quarterfinals there last year. Her absence adds to a long list of withdrawals reshaping the tournament field.
The Miami Open, set to begin its main draw soon after March 17, 2026, has seen numerous players withdraw, including Raducanu. She informed organizers of her decision due to ongoing effects from a virus picked up during the Middle East swing. This comes amid a challenging season for Raducanu, featuring an early retirement from the United Cup due to injury, a second-round exit at the Australian Open, a final loss to Sorana Cîrstea in Romania, early defeats in the Middle East, and a third-round defeat by Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells. Her best result at a WTA 1000 event was last year's Miami quarterfinals, and missing this event risks points loss and a rankings drop. Raducanu plans to focus on the clay-court season, potentially skipping Charleston to recover fully. She recently resumed working with coach Mark Petchey after parting with Francisco Roig. Tennis great Martina Navratilova commented on her coaching changes, telling Sky Sports: “You need somebody full-time. You don’t need to have a great coach all the time... I think that’s the biggest mistake – she’s been through too many people, and then you get so many different ideas, and you don’t quite know which one to stick with.” Other women's withdrawals include Sonay Kartal (lower back injury), Maya Joint, Lois Boisson (World No. 38, sidelined since September), Oleksandra Oliynykova, Wang Yafan, Marketa Vondrousova, Barbora Krejcikova, Karolina Pliskova, Daria Kasatkina, and Veronika Kudermetova. On the men's side, Holger Rune, Tallon Griekspoor, Jaume Munar, Novak Djokovic (shoulder concern), Lorenzo Sonego, and Shang Juncheng have exited. These changes have promoted players like Maria Sakkari and Jaqueline Cristian into seeded spots, with qualifiers and lucky losers filling gaps. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka leads the remaining strong field.
