Emma Raducanu withdraws from Nottingham Open after Queen's final run

It was likely to occur, and now it has been confirmed. Another severe blow to the Nottingham Open as Emma Raducanu withdraws after her run to the final of Queen's Club Championships over the last week.

The British number one has had a turbulent 2026 with some bright sparks. The Transylvania Open final defeat was her first final since that famous 2021 US Open run. She would then win just one match from then to grass with a lingering virus keeping her from playing at her best, forcing her to skip much of the clay swing.

Now on a favourable surface that is grass, she seems to be flying once more. Wins over Anna Blikova, Sorana Cirstea, Kamilla Rakhimova and most notably Iva Jovic were all completed in straight sets. She would be the favourite in the final against lucky loser Donna Vekic, but it would not go her way.

Losing the first set 6-0, it took Raducanu a while to settle into the tie with the Croatian playing at a very high level. Pushed on by the passionate British contingent in the crowd, she made a comeback in the second set, leading 5-2 with a double break. Twice she tried to serve it out, and both times she failed.

Vekic missed numerous championship points as the second set went to a tiebreak. It was very close and tense, but in the end the former Wimbledon semi-finalist was able to get over the line for a first WTA title since 2023. For Raducanu, the wait goes on for more silverware.

Queen's was hit heavily by a huge amount of rain throughout the week. Raducanu's tournament was heavily impacted by this with a number of matches played late in the week. This was due to the washout on Thursday. She only managed a warm-up against Cirstea before the rain returned.

That meant the scheduling was very hectic. She came back the next day to defeat the Romanian in the last-16 before having to play two matches in a single day against Rakhimova and Jovic. She did well to win them in straight sets, saving energy but all of this would add up a day before the final.

Her next stop was supposed to be Nottingham and a tie against former world number one Karolina Pliskova on the Tuesday. This will not take place. Instead, Abu Dhabi champion Sara Bejlek will step up to the task in place of Raducanu who is now back in the top 32 thanks to that final run.

It seemed likely after all the tennis played that she would have a week off. Wimbledon is the main objective with a deep run there on grass a possibility.

She is not the only one to skip the tournament. Jovic pulled out via an ankle injury with the Libema Open finalist Barbora Krejcikova handed some dreadful luck with illness preventing her from competing in that final as well as Nottingham.

There is still a number of very good players in action. Qinwen Zheng and Maria Sakkari face off in a highly anticipated first round tie. British duo Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart also clash early on with Leylah Fernandez, Emma Navarro, Marie Bouzkova, McCartney Kessler, Ann Li and Pliskova among the names involved.