Emma Raducanu sidelined for US Open 2026 by stress fracture

Emma Raducanu’s injury-plagued season has suffered another major setback, with the former US Open champion ruled out of the 2026 US Open after sustaining a stress fracture in her lower right leg.

The British star confirmed on Monday that she will miss the year’s final Grand Slam following consultations with her medical team, according to The Times. The injury, which occurred during the grass-court season, also forced her to skip Wimbledon, making it the second consecutive Grand Slam she has been unable to contest.

Raducanu will also miss the entire North American hard-court swing, including the Cincinnati Open, and has been left out of Great Britain’s squad for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals as she focuses on her recovery.

The 23-year-old has not competed since finishing runner-up at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club in June, where she enjoyed one of her strongest performances since winning the 2021 US Open. However, the demanding grass-court schedule aggravated an issue that had first surfaced during the clay season.

Further medical examinations revealed a Grade 4 stress fracture, with doctors recommending an eight-to-16-week recovery period. On Sunday, Raducanu shared a glimpse of her rehabilitation from a training camp in Switzerland, posting a video of herself serving while wearing a protective boot on her right foot and describing it as “the best reset ever.”

The latest setback is another blow in a career repeatedly interrupted by injuries. Since her historic triumph at Flushing Meadows in 2021, where she became the first qualifier in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles title without dropping a set, Raducanu has struggled with wrist and ankle injuries, surgeries, recurring fitness concerns and illness.

There had been encouraging signs before her latest injury. Along with reaching the Queen’s Club final, Raducanu also finished runner-up in Cluj-Napoca earlier this season, suggesting she was beginning to rediscover the form that made her one of the brightest young talents in women’s tennis.

Her absence from the Billie Jean King Cup Finals means British No. 2 Katie Boulter is expected to lead Great Britain’s campaign in China.

Missing the US Open will be particularly painful for Raducanu, given it was the venue of her remarkable breakthrough five years ago.