Raducanu pulls out of Madrid before first round

MADRID: Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu withdrew from the Madrid Open shortly before she was due on court to play Viktoriya Tomova in the first round on Wednesday (Apr 26).

The 20-year-old British player cited an injury to her right hand as the reason for her withdrawal.

It is the latest setback for Raducanu who has struggled for form and fitness since her fairytale run to the title at Flushing Meadows in 2021 as an 18-year-old qualifier.

She lost in the first round in Miami and Stuttgart and by missing Madrid she will likely fall outside the top 100 in the WTA rankings for the first time since her stunning breakthrough.