Emma Raducanu’s 2026 Australian Open journey came to an abrupt end on Wednesday, as the British No. 1 bowed out in the second round after a straight-sets defeat to world No. 55 Anastasia Potapova. The final score—7-6 (7-3), 6-2 in Potapova’s favor—left Raducanu and her fans with more questions than answers about her form and fitness as the new tennis season gains momentum.
It’s been a rocky road for Raducanu since her fairytale run to the 2021 US Open title. Now 23, she entered Melbourne as the tournament’s 28th seed, hoping her off-season training would set the stage for a deep Grand Slam run. However, those hopes were hampered by a lingering foot injury that disrupted her preparations and, ultimately, her performance Down Under.
Raducanu’s off-season was far from ideal. She was forced to skip her scheduled match against Naomi Osaka at the United Cup due to the same foot issue that has dogged her since late 2025. “I don’t want to give myself too much of a hard time, because I know my preparation going into this tournament,” Raducanu told reporters after her loss. “I kind of have to leave with my head held high because of the matches I’ve had here. I didn’t even know at the beginning if I would be coming to Australia, so it’s a positive in that sense.”
Her return to the court was tentative at best. Raducanu admitted that, as of January 1st, she hadn’t played any real practice points—her pre-season mostly consisted of gym work and static hitting. By the time she landed in Australia, she was still managing light bone bruising in her right foot. “It’s been a steep ramp-up. I’ve been managing it each day. It’s not 100%, but I’ve made peace with that. It will be good to kind of get everything rechecked once this is—well, now it’s over—and just see how it is and whether I need to offload it a little bit or not,” she reflected.
The match itself was a study in frustration for Raducanu. She started with promise, even serving for the first set at 5-4, but a series of unforced errors—including a wild drive volley and a crucial double fault—undermined her confidence. Potapova, despite her own early mistakes, capitalized on Raducanu’s uncertainty, snatching the first set in a tiebreak and racing to a commanding lead in the second. The British star’s movement and mood were described as flat, with little of the electric shot-making that once made her a sensation.
Raducanu didn’t shy away from her own shortcomings. “I want to be playing a different way, and I think the misalignment with how I’m playing right now and how I want to be playing is something I want to work on,” she said. “There are definitely pockets of me playing how I want to play and it comes out in flashes, which is a positive. But it’s not how I want to be consistently every day. It’s not going to fall into place straight away, but the more I work on how I want to be playing, it will be more of my identity every time I step onto the court.”
That search for identity has become a recurring theme in Raducanu’s career. After her meteoric rise, the pressure to evolve her game—and the revolving door of coaches that followed—seems to have left her in a state of flux. “At the end of the day, I just want to hit the ball, like, to the corners and hard. I feel like I’m doing all this variety, and it’s not, like, doing what I want it to do. I need to just work on, you know, playing in a way more similar to how I was playing when I was younger. I always just changed direction, took the ball early, and went for it. I think I do have the ability to do many things on the court, but I feel like as I’m learning all those skills, it’s like I need to stick to my guns a bit as well and work on that. For me, it’s pretty simple,” she added.
Despite her disappointment, Raducanu did find some positives in her physical progress. “Physically, I think I’ve actually improved in the last few weeks, even if I’ve been playing more and my load has gone up, which is a positive. Considering how it was going at the end of last year, I really didn’t know if I was going to come to Australia. So to be feeling this way after five matches physically, it’s a positive.”
The defeat means Raducanu failed to reach the third round of the Australian Open for the second consecutive year, a setback after her positive 2025 season that saw her climb back into the world’s top 30. Her exit also left Cameron Norrie as the sole British player advancing to the third round in singles competition. For Raducanu, the focus now shifts to rest, recovery, and recalibration.
Looking ahead, Raducanu is expected to compete next at the Transylvania Open, a WTA 250 event on hard courts in Cluj, Romania, from February 1 to 7. The tournament will also feature her recent conqueror, Potapova, as well as notable names like Donna Vekic, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, and Sorana Cirstea, who is set to retire after the 2026 season. “Right now, I’m signed up to play in Cluj, so hopefully I make it there. That will be good to return to my dad’s home country. I haven’t been back in a few years, so that will be a nice opportunity if I get it,” Raducanu said.
As for Potapova, her victory over Raducanu sets up a tantalizing clash with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who has a dominant record against Potapova in their previous meetings. Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, looms as a formidable challenge for the Austrian, adding another layer of intrigue to the women’s draw.
For Raducanu, the immediate priority is to heal and regroup. She hinted that she won’t be rushing back onto the practice courts, instead planning to take a few days to re-evaluate her game. “I definitely want to feel better on certain shots before I start playing again,” she admitted, noting that fixing her forehand remains a top priority.
It’s clear that Raducanu is at a crossroads in her career. The talent and drive are still there, but the journey to recapture her best form—and her tennis identity—will require patience, persistence, and perhaps a return to basics. As the 2026 season unfolds, all eyes will be on how she bounces back from this latest setback.
For now, the Australian Open spotlight shifts elsewhere, while Raducanu heads home determined to write the next chapter of her story—one that, if her resolve is any indication, is far from finished.