Emma Raducanu is set to make her long-awaited return to competitive tennis next week at the WTA 500 tournament in Strasbourg, just days before the French Open begins. The British No. 1 has been sidelined for over two months due to a post-viral illness, which also forced her to withdraw from the Italian Open shortly after she had completed pre-tournament interviews, where she mentioned she had 'turned a corner'.
Raducanu's Return to Action
The 23-year-old, currently ranked world No. 30, has accepted a top 30 replacement spot in the Internationaux de Strasbourg, which commences on Sunday. Tournament organisers confirmed her participation on social media on Tuesday, writing: 'Welcome back, Emma! The 2021 US Open champion will be back on the clay courts in Strasbourg. The first player to come through the qualifiers to win a Grand Slam, Emma made history in New York in 2021. Can't wait to see her back on the courts.'
Raducanu is then expected to travel to the French Open. However, after withdrawing from the Italian Open, where she was defending 120 ranking points, she will drop outside the top 35 and is likely to be unseeded, making her vulnerable to drawing a top player in the early rounds.
Previous Performance in Strasbourg
Raducanu previously played in Strasbourg in 2025, reaching the second round. This year's field includes Victoria Mboko and Paula Badosa. The British No. 1 has been absent from competitive action since early March, when she suffered a 52-minute defeat to Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells. Post-viral symptoms have since kept her out of tournaments in Miami, Linz, Madrid, and Rome.
Raducanu's Health Update
While completing media duties in Rome, Raducanu shed light on her physical condition. 'Post-viral, it's quite hard. You feel drained, you feel tired, no energy,' she explained. 'It's difficult and it lingered for quite a while. Right now, I wouldn't say I'm 100 per cent. I'm still building my way back. It is difficult to then kind of maintain it, even if your tennis level is very high, it's difficult to maintain for the full duration of the match, so I think it was good to come here and practise and see how I'm doing in points and the sharpness of that is also another thing to just get your eye in for.'
There were questions about whether Raducanu might skip the remainder of the clay season to focus on grass, where she has a better record. However, she made clear in Rome that she has no intention of avoiding clay. 'I think playing on the clay, getting any time on the clay for me, I'm not necessarily thinking everything for the grass,' she said. 'Because I know in the years to come, every time, every week that I get on the clay courts, it's going to help me for the future and longer term.'
