The list of high-profile absentees from the 2026 Italian Open has stretched past 16 players, with Emma Raducanu and Madrid Open champion Marta Kostyuk the latest names to pull out as the tournament got underway at the Foro Italico.
Raducanu’s withdrawal on Tuesday was among the most striking of the build-up. The British No. 1 had been practicing in Rome for several days and completed her pre-tournament media duties before her team confirmed she would not play, citing the post-viral illness that has shadowed her season since February.
A tournament supervisor relayed the withdrawal shortly after Raducanu finished speaking with reporters, where she had spoken positively about her preparation. The 23-year-old has not played a competitive match since her third-round defeat to Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells on March 8 and had already missed Miami, Linz and Madrid for the same reason.
She had been seeded 27th in Rome and was due to face Solana Sierra or a qualifier in the second round.
Kostyuk. The Ukrainian’s withdrawal landed on the opening day of the women’s main draw and carried particular weight given her run of form. Kostyuk lifted the Madrid Open last week with a final-round win over Mirra Andreeva — the biggest title of her career and one that lifted her to a career-high WTA No. 15.
In an Instagram post confirming her absence from Rome, she wrote that she had been managing a hip issue over recent days and that her ankle, troubling her for some time, was still not at full strength. Her main-draw place will go to a lucky loser, the draw having already been made.
Men’s draw. The men’s side has been hit harder still. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew earlier in the build-up with the right wrist injury picked up at the Barcelona Open, an absence he has confirmed will also keep him out of Roland Garros. Taylor Fritz, dealing with right knee tendonitis, is out alongside Jack Draper, who reported a knee injury sustained in Barcelona.
Holger Rune remains sidelined with the Achilles problem he has been managing for several months, while Gabriel Diallo, Reilly Opelka, Raphael Collignon, Arthur Cazaux, Kamil Majchrzak and Eliot Spizzirri have all also pulled out.
Sebastian Ofner, Zachary Svajda, Damir Dzumhur, Hamad Medjedovic, Alexander Blockx, Aleksandar Vukic, Alexandre Muller, Mattia Bellucci, Roberto Bautista Agut and James Duckworth have entered the main draw as alternates.
Women’s draw. On the women’s side, 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova — who has not played since January — is the highest-profile absentee alongside Kostyuk and Raducanu. British No. 2 Sonay Kartal pulled out earlier with a lower-back injury, with Varvara Gracheva and Veronika Kudermetova also withdrawing. Solana Sierra, Zeynep Sonmez, Eva Lys and Petra Marcinko are among those stepping in.
The wave of absences has reshaped both draws ahead of the final WTA 1000 and ATP Masters 1000 of the clay swing before Roland Garros, which begins on May 24. Aryna Sabalenka leads the women’s seedings; Jannik Sinner heads the men’s, with Novak Djokovic also in the field. The women’s final is scheduled for Saturday May 16, the men’s for Sunday May 17.
