The 2025 season was a testament to Emma Raducanu’s growing consistency on the tour. She played a career-high 50 matches, a significant milestone that underscores her improved physical durability. Her year was a rollercoaster, beginning with a difficult period where she won only three matches before a breakthrough run to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open in March heralded a strong spring and summer. She consistently won matches against players ranked around and below her and notched impressive victories, including a dismantling of 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova at the All England Club.

This consistency helped her climb from a ranking of 61st at the start of the year to world No. 29, crucially positioning her on the cusp of a seeded spot at major tournaments. However, her season ended abruptly in October during the Asian swing, where she struggled with illness, retiring from a match in Wuhan with dizziness and later exiting the Ningbo Open after having her blood pressure checked mid-match.

Looking ahead, Raducanu has already set a definitive target for the new season. As reported by Express, the Brit said, “My goal for the coming weeks is to try to be seeded at the Australian Open. I will do everything I can to achieve that. The higher my ranking is, the better. You might have better chances of advancing in the draw, but you can still be seeded and play against the best players quite early in tournaments. There’s also an element of luck, but you have to do your best in all situations to increase your chances.”

This goal is particularly strategic, as being seeded would offer her protection in the draw, potentially allowing her to avoid the top players in the early rounds—a luxury she did not have in the 2025 Grand Slams, where she faced Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina in her first three matches. Supporting her ambitions is the confirmed stability of her coaching setup.

Raducanu will continue her partnership with experienced coach Francisco Roig into the 2026 season. Roig, a long-time former coach of Rafael Nadal, is credited with helping Raducanu develop a more aggressive game plan and improve her overall structure since they began working together in August. This continued collaboration provides a foundation for her pre-season training, where she and Roig will focus on converting strong positions into wins. However, Raducanu isn’t the only WTA star who has been affected by the scheduling.

Joining the list that included Emma Raducanu

In her first-round match against Ann Li in Wuhan, Emma Raducanu had to get her blood pressure checked and ended up retiring while she was down 6-1, 4-1 on a really hot and humid day. In the end, she chose not to go on with the 2025 season. The WTA season was tough, and many players, Raducanu included, definitely felt the strain.

Daria Kasatkina then decided to wrap up her 2025 season, opening up about the emotional challenges she’s been facing lately, especially with her nationality change and other things going on. She honestly shared, “I’ve been far from fine for a long time and, truth be told, my results and performances show that. I am at breaking point and sadly I am not alone.” This really highlighted just how mentally exhausting tennis can be.

Elina Svitolina hopped on board too, saying, “I’m giving myself the space I need to heal and recharge. Instead of forcing it, and when I step back on the court, I want to fight with everything I’ve got and put my best self on the court for the fans, for the game, and for myself.” So, with the season wrapping up, it seems like the WTA should really think about shaking up the scheduling a bit. It’s definitely taking a toll on their own stars.