Emma Raducanu’s start to the 2026 season didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
The Brit showed up at the Australian Open still carrying a knock and fell to Anastasia Potapova in the second round, having reached only one semi-final in her previous four events.
After that loss, Raducanu decided it was time for another change, parting ways with coach Francisco Roig. It marked yet another move in a series of coaching changes that has become a regular feature of her career.
The latest split only added to the perception of instability around Raducanu’s setup, as fans continue to question whether she’ll ever settle on a coach for any significant period.
Emma Raducanu set for new career-high ranking after Transylvania Open first-round win
After a disappointing exit from the Australian Open, Emma Raducanu returned to action as the top seed at the 2026 Transylvania Open.
Her opening match was against Belgium’s Greet Minnen, where she looked sharp and confident, cruising to a 6-0, 6-4 victory. The result moved her up two spots in the ‘Live WTA Rankings’ to 28th.
The rise sees her move above her pre-Australian Open position of 29th.
It’s still early in the season but it could be a positive step towards re-establishing herself among the top players.
Emma Raducanu to face Kaja Juvan next in Romania
Raducanu’s next opponent in Cluj-Napoca will be Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan. The two haven’t faced each other before on the WTA Tour, but Juvan did draw attention as Elena Rybakina’s first-round opponent in Australia.
The Briton is expected to progress past the world number 97, but there are still several tough names she could run into later in the tournament. Olga Danilovic, Xinyu Wang and Jaqueline Cristian are all capable players. Still, given the field and her ranking advantage, anything short of a title could raise fresh doubts about Raducanu’s direction.
It’s been five years since she stunned the tennis world by winning the US Open, and while expectations may have been set too high early on, her results since then haven’t helped silence critics.
She hasn’t added another title or even reached another final since that breakout moment. And while injuries have played their part, there hasn’t been much sign that she’ll turn things around soon enough to challenge at the top again.
Her record against top-10 opponents highlights where improvements are needed. So far, Raducanu is 4-17 against players currently ranked inside that group and holds a positive head-to-head only against Amanda Anisimova and Belinda Bencic.
If she wants to climb back toward elite status – or even just quiet some of those doubts – a tournament win here would help set a better tone for her season ahead.
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