LONDON — Emma Raducanu’s long-awaited return to competitive tennis in 2026 has been delayed by a fresh setback, with the 2021 US Open champion revealing she spent the majority of her pre-season on fitness work rather than court time after a minor injury disrupted her preparations.
Raducanu, 23, lost her first match of the new season at the Brisbane International, falling 6-4, 6-2 to world number 45, Anhelina Kalinina. While the scoreline suggested a one-sided affair, the context of Raducanu’s disrupted build-up painted a clearer picture of a player still searching for rhythm and match sharpness.
A Pre-Season Pivot: From Tennis Drills to Rehab
Speaking candidly after the match, Raducanu disclosed that a physical issue, described as a minor niggle, forced a significant change in her training plans. "I had a bit of a setback health-wise at the beginning of pre-season, so I spent the majority of my pre-season in the gym, on the physio bed, doing rehab, prehab, everything but actually playing tennis," she explained. This admission highlighted the fragile nature of her ongoing comeback from multiple surgeries in 2023, which sidelined her for eight months.
The Brit emphasized that her primary goal for the Australian summer was to build a robust physical foundation, prioritizing longevity over immediate results. "For me, the most important thing is that I feel like I’m building, I’m building the fitness, building the strength," she said. "I know my level is there, I just need to get the reps in." This focus on durability is a clear lesson learned from past experiences, where a punishing schedule and physical vulnerabilities contributed to her struggles post-Flushing Meadows.
Analyzing the Brisbane Performance: Rust vs. Resilience
On court against Kalinina, the lack of match practice was evident. Raducanu’s trademark precision and aggressive shot-making were interspersed with unforced errors and moments where her movement appeared a fraction slow. Kalinina, a consistent baseliner, capitalized expertly, exposing the gaps in Raducanu’s current competitive readiness.
Despite the defeat, Raducanu refused to be downbeat, framing the match as a necessary step in her process. "It’s just about getting back into things, getting the hours on the court, the hours in the gym. This is just the start. I’m not too worried about the result today; it’s more about how I build from here," she stated. Her coach, Nick Cavaday, who has worked with her since childhood, was seen taking detailed notes, suggesting a focus on long-term technical and tactical development rather than a reactive panic to one loss.
The Road to Melbourne: A Race Against Time
With the Australian Open beginning on January 19, Raducanu now faces a race against time to find her form. She is entered in a WTA 500 event in Adelaide next week, where a deeper run would provide invaluable match play. Her immediate objectives are clear:
- Increase on-court volume: Transition from rehab-focused training to high-intensity tennis drills and practice sets.
- Manage load: Carefully balance match play with recovery to avoid a recurrence of any physical issues.
- Sharpen competitive instincts: Reacclimatize to the pressure and flow of tour-level competition.
The decision to play Adelaide, rather than seek extra practice, signals an intent to learn through competition. "Every match I play, win or lose, is information. It tells me what I need to work on, where my body is at, what feels good and what doesn’t. You can’t replicate that in practice," Raducanu noted, demonstrating a mature, process-oriented mindset that has evolved since her meteoric rise.
Perspective from the Tennis World: Patience is Paramount
Tennis analysts have largely urged caution regarding expectations for Raducanu in early 2026. Former British number one, Tim Henman, commented for Amazon Prime, "The key for Emma is patience—from herself, her team, and the public. Coming back from long-term injuries is a marathon, not a sprint. The win in Brisbane wasn’t the objective; getting through it healthy and learning was."
This sentiment is echoed by fitness experts who point out that rebuilding the specific musculature and resilience for elite tennis after surgeries takes consistent, uninterrupted time. Raducanu’s pre-season setback, while minor, is a reminder of that delicate balance. Her current focus on strength and conditioning, even at the expense of court time, is widely viewed as the correct, if frustrating, long-term strategy.
The WTA tour itself presents a brutal challenge for any returning player. The depth of competition is stronger than ever, and players like Kalinina are seasoned competitors who feast on any sign of vulnerability. Raducanu’s path back to the top 50, and eventually to contending for titles again, will be paved with results like Brisbane, which she must use as fuel rather than discouragement.
Conclusion: Foundation Over Flash
Emma Raducanu’s first match of 2026 did not deliver a fairytale return. Instead, it provided a transparent snapshot of an athlete in the arduous, often unglamorous, phase of reconstruction. The revelation that her pre-season was dominated by rehab work contextualizes the performance and recalibrates expectations for the coming weeks.
Her journey now is fundamentally different from her stunning run in New York as an 18-year-old qualifier. That was a spectacular explosion of talent. This is a deliberate, meticulous project to build a career that can withstand the rigors of the tour. "I’m here for the long haul," Raducanu affirmed in Brisbane, a statement that resonates more as a declaration of intent than a cliché.
For Raducanu and her team, the metrics of success in January 2026 are not measured in rankings points or trophy lifts, but in incremental gains in strength, pain-free training blocks, and the gradual accumulation of competitive miles. The loss to Kalinina is merely a data point in that larger equation. The tennis world watches, hoping that the foundation she is painstakingly laying will soon allow her radiant talent to shine consistently once more.