Emma Raducanu returns to action but faces daunting ranking collapse after time off

Thursday, 10 September 2026 at 22:30

Emma Raducanu faces a daunting ranking collapse in the coming weeks despite the fact that she has recently returned to the court in a bid to recapture her former glories. Raducanu didn't play in New York at the US Open, but after issues as of late she seems to have turned a small corner.

It'll be a corner that is certainly needed. Raducanu played her last tennis in June when she turned in one of her best performances in years as she reached the final of Queen's in the WTA 500 and many expected she would kick on.

The impressive display also saw her garner huge attention with great TV figures for her match against Donna Vekic and confirmed that despite what certain sections of the media say about her, that Raducanu still has the star power despite losing sponsorships and having other such issues over the years.

That run at Queen's also cemented Raducanu's reputation as a player who struggles to cope with the physical demands of the game. She felt discomfort in her leg and it was confirmed that she suffered a stress fracture that ruled her out of Wimbledon and the US Open.

All smiles from @EmmaRaducanu at the National Tennis Centre 😁 pic.twitter.com/NxBwqMfCdu
— LTA (@the_LTA) September 9, 2026

Raducanu returns at LTA

Now she is looking for a comeback with images of her hitting at the LTA in recent days posted on social media. She will be able to gain entry into some events based off protected ranking, but with wildcards being harder to come by as of late, it is less likely that she manages to gain those easier than she has in the past.

Players such as Bianca Andreescu have faced this hard reality after winning the US Open and failing to back it up afterwards mainly due to injury issues. Raducanu is ranked down at World No.89 in the live WTA rankings and that would not be enough to get into many different WTA 1000 events.

If she gets out of the top 100, she will have to qualify for Grand Slam events again, with the 23-year-old starting from a lowly base to get back onto court. She will play at the China Open and it is presumed that she will play a big part in the Asian hard court swing given that it is often a semi homecoming for her.

The challenge she may face is that she will have to adapt to the conditions in China. She struggled badly with the heat in Wuhan last year and it might be a tough location for her to mount a comeback. Most observers expected Raducanu to take the rest of 2026 off, but given she is already back in action she might play sooner.

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Whether that is a small return and then kick starting a bigger comeback at the start of the year differs. The tennis world has managed to go on without Raducanu, but it will be a sight to behold when she does to see if she can recapture some of that Queen's form.

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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