Emma Raducanu withdraws from planned exhibitions with an injury

Fans will probably not see Emma Raducanu in action again until 2026, after she withdrew from exhibitions scheduled for the off-season.

Raducanu ended her season at the 2025 Ningbo Open. She lost to Lin Zhu despite winning the opening set, which was a frustrating trend for her in tournaments held after the 2025 US Open.

The Briton had match points against Barbora Krejcikova and Jessica Pegula in the second sets of their meetings at the 2025 Korea Open and the 2025 China Open, but collapsed after not converting them.

Raducanu's other appearance in the Asian swing ended with her retiring against Ann Li in sweltering conditions at the 2025 Wuhan Open. However, the problem in that match was not what led to her withdrawal from the exhibitions.

A few weeks ago, two exhibitions between Raducanu and Amanda Anisimova were announced for December 7th at the Prudential Center in Newark and the 8th at LoanDepot Park in Miami. Exhibitions involving Carlos Alcaraz are also scheduled for both days.

The BBC has confirmed that Raducanu will not play in those matches against Anisimova. She has light bruising on her right foot, and participating in the exhibitions would risk making that issue worse.

It is not a severe injury, and Raducanu will focus on preparing for the 2026 season. Her schedule until January has been organized by Francisco Roig, who became her new coach in August.

Raducanu's off-season training will take place in Barcelona. Roig's being Spanish makes the choice unsurprising, and working overseas with someone who was in Rafael Nadal's team for so long might be precisely what she needs.

The 2021 US Open champion showed promising signs this year, including reaching the 2025 Miami Open quarterfinals and beating Anisimova twice. However, making three improvements would enhance her chances of being a consistent player at the top.

Emma Raducanu's decision to withdraw from exhibitions with Amanda Anisimova in December provided an opportunity for Jessica Pegula, who agreed to take the Briton's place for the matches scheduled on December 7th and 8th.

Although both women finished 2025 ranked in the WTA's Top 10, they have not played yet this year. Their last meeting was Pegula's three-set victory in the 2024 National Bank Open final last August.

Pegula enjoyed another impressive season, including winning the 2025 Charleston Open title, finishing as the runner-up in Miami and Wuhan, and losing a thrilling semifinal at the 2025 US Open against Aryna Sabalenka.

Anisimova, who finished as the world No. 4, had an even better year. She was the runner-up at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships and the US Open, and secured maiden WTA 1000 titles at the 2025 Qatar Open and the 2025 China Open.

Pegula and Anisimova were among four Americans who qualified for the 2025 WTA Finals. Madison Keys and Coco Gauff, who won this year's women's singles titles at the Australian Open and the French Open, were the others.