Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Miami Open due to illness.
Assuming she is fit enough to do so, Raducanu will return to tennis on clay.
The British star has signed up for a new clay-court event this year, alongside the likes of Alex Eala and Jelena Ostapenko.
If she can play her best tennis, Raducanu could be in with a shout of winning her first clay title…
Emma Raducanu has a real chance to win the Linz Open on clay
This year, Raducanu will travel to Austria for the Linz Open.
Previously a hard-court event, the tournament will be played on indoor clay in 2026.
Raducanu is the fourth seed in a field headed by Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova.
2026 Linz Open seeds
- 1. Ekaterina Alexandrova
- 2. Clara Tauson
- 3. Liudmila Samsonova
- 4. Emma Raducanu
- 5. Jelena Ostapenko
- 6. Emma Navarro
- 7. Alex Eala
- 8. Sorana Cirstea
The bigger names in women’s tennis have chosen to skip the Linz Open, opting instead for the Stuttgart event the week after.
Raducanu won’t enter the tournament as the favorite, but if she can find her groove on the Austrian clay, who knows what she can achieve?
Plus, she’ll be well-rested, having not played for almost a month by then.
British tennis fans would love to see Raducanu lift the title in Linz, although there are admittedly reasons to be doubtful.
After all, the 23-year-old has struggled on clay since making her WTA Tour debut…
Emma Raducanu’s record on clay (13-11)
| Year | Tournament’s played | Best performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| 2025 | 4 – Madrid, Rome, Strasbourg, French Open | 4R – Rome | 6-4 | 60% |
| 2024 | 2 – Stuttgart, Madrid | QF – Stuttgart | 2-2 | 50% |
| 2023 | 1 – Stuttgart | 1R – Stuttgart | 0-1 | 0% |
| 2022 | 4 – Stuttgart, Madrid, Rome, French Open | QF – Stuttgart | 5-4 | 56% |
She did, however, enjoy her best clay-court season to date in 2025.
Winning six matches and reaching the fourth round of the Italian Open, Raducanu proved her worth on the red stuff.
But if she is to make another step forward in 2026, she needs to make the most of this month off.
Emma Raducanu needs to resolve coaching situation
Raducanu turned to Mark Petchey for Indian Wells, working with her former coach on a temporary basis.
Assuming Petchey doesn’t stay with Raducanu for the remainder of the season, she’s back to square one.
While Raducanu seems happy and comfortable with LTA coach Alexis Canter, it might be time for her to find a long-term solution.
There are several big names available, including Andy Murray and Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Unfortunately for Raducanu, her treatment of coaches in the past may put off any future hires…
Raducanu has an abnormally high coaching turnover, rarely sticking with anyone for longer than six months.
List of Emma Raducanu’s coaches
- Nigel Sears
- Andrew Richardson
- Torben Beltz
- Iain Bates and Jane O’Donoghue
- Dmitry Tursunov
- Sebastian Sachs
- Nick Cavaday
- Vladimir Platenik
- Mark Petchey
- Francisco Roig
- Alexis Canter
The Briton, for whatever reason, feels the need to change things quicker than many of her rivals.
Francisco Roig was the latest to leave the team after a disappointing Australian Open.
If you agree to become Raducanu’s coach, the only thing certain, is the uncertainty that follows.
A P45 is never too far away…
The top coaches, like Ferrero, may be wary of joining forces with Raducanu for that very reason.
Still, there will be coaches out there who would jump at the chance to help a former Grand Slam winner return to the top 10.
And it’s now time for Raducanu to find that coach, and stick with them for the long haul!
Only time will tell who Raducanu will have in her corner at the Linz Open next month.
The 2026 Linz Open begins on Monday, April 6.
