Emma Raducanu suffers major rankings blow as new British No.1 emerges

Emma Raducanu's slide down the WTA rankings continued after the Cincinnati Open, dealing the British athlete another blow.

Raducanu famously became the first woman or man to win a Grand Slam as a qualifier when she triumphed at the US Open in 2021.

An historic victory at Flushing Meadows was supposed to be a springboard to the top of women's tennis, but she has since endured a torrid five years.

The Brit has failed to progress beyond the fourth round of a Grand Slam in every tournament she has played since her US Open win, surpassing the second round just four times out of 14.

Raducanu showed signs of recapturing her best form at Queens, a WTA 500 event played in the build-up to Wimbledon, when Croatia's Donna Vekic beat her in the final in mid-June.

In the days that followed, the 23-year-old cancelled her opening-round matches at Nottingham and then Wimbledon, having sustained a stress fracture in her lower right leg.

Raducanu confirmed she would miss the US Open at the start of August, and that isn't the only blow she has suffered.

For the first time in 14 months (June 2025), Katie Boulter has knocked Raducanu off her perch as the British number one after her performance at the Cincinnati Open.

Although she was beaten in the second round by Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, the 30-year-old still climbed 11 places to world number 60.

Raducanu, on the other hand, dropped down to 68th in the rankings after missing the Cincinnati Open.

Remarkably, Boulter and Raducanu remain the only two British players ranked inside the WTA top 100.

Top five-ranked British players on the WTA Tour

• Katie Boulter – 60
• Emma Raducanu – 68
• Francesca Jones – 104
• Sonay Kartal – 123
• Harriet Dart – 131

Andrew Castle thinks Emma Raducanu could retire early

It's the first time since June 2025 that Raducanu has surrendered her spot as the British number one, which further highlights a worrying downward spiral.

The youngster's slide down the rankings wasn't foreseen when she won the US Open, with many predicting her to follow in Andy Murray's footsteps as the next British tennis superstar.

READ NEXT: Wimbledon commentator makes major Emma Raducanu retirement claim

When discussing her struggles, former British number one Andrew Castle said he wouldn't be surprised if Raducanu retired out of the blue after failing to meet expectations.

"Well, put it this way. I've got no access to that camp whatsoever, but it wouldn't surprise me if one day, out of the blue, she just said, I've had enough of all this.

"I mean, don't we all say that? She doesn't have an obligation to anybody but herself and her family. That's it. There is nothing else,” continued the Wimbledon commentator.

He concluded: "All the sponsors and everybody else, they're not the ones whose career this is. It's her choice, but I mean, I hope she carries on."

The weight of expectation has arguably hampered Raducanu's development after rising to stardom at such a young age, but so has the relentless cycle of serious injuries, and she hopes that changes sooner rather than later.