Emma Raducanu made a big impact again as 2026 hits a new low right before the US Open.
Emma Raducanu has had a tough year in 2026, and things have taken another turn just days before the US Open.
The 2021 US Open champion has faced quite a few challenges so far this year. Early on, she struggled in the big tournaments, losing in the second round of the Australian Open to Anastasia Potapova. Then, in March, she was hit by a virus that forced her to skip the Linz and Miami Opens.
Emma came back for the French Open but was knocked out in the first round by Argentina’s Solana Sierra. Things seemed to be looking up when she made it to the final at Queen’s Club before Wimbledon, though she lost to Donna Vekić. That was a bright spot since she’d only played six matches before that event.
Unfortunately, just before Wimbledon, Emma was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her lower right leg, meaning she had to miss the grass-court major. She said, “I’ve done everything I could to be ready, but after a recent scan, the small issue turned into a stress fracture. My doctors told me to stop pushing myself.”
Since then, Emma hasn’t returned to the tour. She missed the Washington Open, a key warm-up for the North American hard-court season and the US Open. Because of skipping Washington, her WTA ranking dropped 12 places to No. 49 — quite a fall after reaching the semifinals there in 2025. She’s also expected to miss the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, which could push her ranking down even more.
The LTA recently confirmed that Emma plans to compete in the US Open and hopes to be back in time for the final major tournament of the year.
At the top of the WTA rankings, Aryna Sabalenka remains number one, and the rest of the top 20 hasn’t changed much. Some ranking shifts happened because of changes to the tournament schedule, like the Washington Open happening a week later this year, and the Canadian Open starting five days later than before.
Players like Maja Chwalińska, Madison Keys, and Elise Mertens moved up a spot, while Marie Bouzková dropped three places.
Here’s the current top 20:
1. Aryna Sabalenka
2. Elena Rybakina
3. Jessica Pegula
4. Coco Gauff
5. Mirra Andreeva
6. Karolina Muchova
7. Linda Noskova
8. Iga Swiatek
9. Amanda Anisimova
10. Elina Svitolina
11. Marta Kostyuk
12. Victoria Mboko
13. Naomi Osaka
14. Belinda Bencic
15. Jasmine Paolini
16. Iva Jovic
17. Sorana Cirstea
18. Diana Shnaider
19. Ekaterina Alexandrova
20. Anna Kalinskaya