Emma Raducanu Makes Saddening Withdrawal After US Open Exit

While she came in with a fire in her eye, Emma Raducanu’s US Open run just didn’t spark the comeback she wanted. She made it to the third round for the first time since winning the tournament back in 2021. But Elena Rybakina’s scorching groundstrokes shut her down in straight sets. Raducanu showed flashes of her old magic, the kind that made her the talk of New York, but injuries over the years made things tougher than ever. Even after a tough loss, she’s not letting it get her down. She’s hungry for more, but as she once said, “less is more.”

On September 5, Sky Sports threw out some big news on X: Raducanu is switching up her schedule. The British No.1, who brilliantly led Great Britain to the semifinals at last year’s Billie Jean King Cup, winning all three singles matches she played and snagging GB’s only point in their tough last-four loss to Slovakia, won’t be joining the action this year.

They reported, “Emma Raducanu has confirmed she will not represent Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup finals in Shenzhen this month.” Originally, Emma Raducanu was named in the squad alongside Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, and Jodie Burrage by captain Anne Keothavong, with a quarter-final clash against Japan set for September 18.

Last year, Raducanu was the star of the show, bagging wins in every singles match she played and keeping GB’s hopes alive deep into the semifinals. But this year, she’s putting team duties aside and heading to the WTA 500 Korea Open from September 15-21—in Seoul, where she’s been handed a wildcard entry.

Her bold schedule switch comes after skipping Britain’s qualifiers against Germany and the Netherlands earlier this season. Now, she’ll miss GB’s third Billie Jean King Cup Finals appearance in four years, despite saying she always loves team competitions. But this season, Raducanu is changing it up, chasing her tour goals and going all in.

For Raducanu, this is just another shot to keep shining on court like she has all season. Her best result? A semifinal run at the Washington Open before Anna Kalinskaya stopped her. Earlier, she stormed into the Miami Open quarterfinals. The best part? She’s got a new coach in her corner, Francisco Roig, who spent years coaching Rafael Nadal. Emma is pumped for what’s ahead. She knows the grind pays off.

Emma Raducanu speaks about getting back into form

Back in May, Emma Raducanu rolled through the Italian Open, taking out Jil Teichmann in the R64. After her win, she sat face-to-face with Tennis Channel and got candid about how training helped her crack the whole work-life balance thing.

She didn’t hold back: “Yeah, I’m a lot better now. I think when I was a bit younger, after the US Open and stuff, I was so focused, so locked in, and almost too locked in. I was too intense the whole time, the whole day, and you know I wouldn’t leave the room the day before I played the match in the evening because I was like ‘No I got to focus’ because I’m playing a match tomorrow. And in that way, I was just you know…I wanted it too much in a way and it was putting more pressure.”

Clearly, she’s all about finding moments to chill and just be. She puts it simply: “Now, I’m a lot better at just you know relaxing and switching off and doing things that make me happy and I enjoy.” Whether she’s rolling out her yoga mat, strolling for fresh air, or making a laundromat run, she’s treating every ordinary task like a mini adventure.

Fresh with a new mindset, Emma Raducanu is set for her next chapter: the WTA 500 Korea Open in Seoul from September 15-21! What do you think? Will this lighter approach take her all the way at the Korea Open? Drop your thoughts below!