Emma Raducanu will make her comeback from illness at the Internationaux de Strasbourg next week.
The British No 1 has not played a tournament since Indian Wells in March because of a post-viral illness after she first fell unwell in February, pulling out of four successive events.
Raducanu travelled to Rome and practised ahead of the current Italian Open but ultimately decided she was not quite ready to return.
Taking a wild card into Strasbourg means the 23-year-old will gain valuable time on the clay ahead of the French Open, which begins on May 24.
Raducanu also received a wild card into the tournament 12 months ago, reaching the second round, and an announcement from the tournament on X read: “Welcome back, Emma! The 2021 US Open champion will be back on the clay courts in Strasbourg.”
It has been another difficult start to a season health wise for Raducanu, who began 2026 battling to recover from a foot problem, while she is also without a coach having split from Francisco Roig following the Australian Open.
Speaking to reporters in Rome about her illness, the former US Open champion said: “Post-viral, it’s quite hard. You feel drained, you feel tired, no energy. It’s difficult, and it lingered for quite a while.
“Right now, I wouldn’t say I’m 100 per cent. I’m still building my way back. It is difficult to then kind of maintain it.”
Raducanu sounded positive about her recovery, though, adding: “I think I’ve really turned a corner and I feel so much better. I feel great on the court.”
The Kent player’s absence from the tour has seen her slide down the rankings, meaning she will not be seeded at Roland Garros.
PA
