Emma Raducanu discovers fate after putting ranking goal at risk by ending season early

Emma Raducanu has ticked off one of her seasonal goals as the WTA Tour campaign wraps up. The British tennis sensation called time on her season early in October due to illness. Raducanu's campaign was a rollercoaster ride. She clinched some impressive victories at Wimbledon and the US Open , reclaiming her title as Britain's No. 1. However, she grappled with fitness issues towards the end, which became evident at the Ningbo Open when she needed medical attention and lost her opening-round match in three sets. Following this and other challenges, she decided to wrap up her season early but confirmed that she would retain coach Francisco Roig for 2026. This decision put a goal she had set for herself, being seeded for the Australian Open , at risk. The 22-year-old pulled out from her last two tournaments of the year ranked 29th, making her target of being in the top 32 in doubt. After withdrawing she couldn't add any more ranking points and had to wait to see if she would achieve this milestone. Now that the season is over, she can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Raducanu has ended the year as world No. 29, which means that unless she has a tough start to the first few events of 2026, she will be seeded in Melbourne. It was in early October that Raducanu set this goal and explained why she wanted to be seeded at the first Grand Slam of the new season. Raducanu said: "My goal for the coming weeks is to try to be seeded at the Australian Open. I will do everything I can to achieve that. The higher my ranking is, the better. "You might have better chances of advancing in the draw, but you can still be seeded and play against the best players quite early in tournaments. There's also an element of luck, but you have to do your best in all situations to increase your chances." The British tennis star also spoke about the importance of being a role model, adding: "It's really nice to remember that you're inspiring younger people to play. "But it's very easy to lose sight of these things because you get too absorbed in your own world. It's a great achievement for me. I want to continue to set an example on the court by having a good attitude. "I know that sometimes other players get angry or lose patience, and it's inevitable that occasionally you won't feel good when you are playing. But I try to present the best image possible. You never know who's watching, and I don't want to set a bad example for younger generations." Raducanu is currently the only Brit within the top 32 of the WTA rankings, which this year was topped by world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Iga Swiatek was a distant second, with Coco Gauff ranked as world No. 3. Amanda Anisimova rounded off a fantastic season as world No. 4.