Raducanu: Withdrawal in China due to back injury, her physical condition is concerning

British tennis player Emma Raducanu again faced physical problems, which resulted in her elimination in the first round of the Ningbo Open. Raducanu, who is ranked number 1 in the UK, returned to the court a week after retiring from her opening match in Wuhan due to dizziness in hot and humid conditions. Although she initially felt better, as she indicated in a social media post from the doctor’s office, Raducanu couldn’t keep up the pace after winning the first set against China’s Zhu Lin, losing with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Although the temperatures were lower compared to the previous week, Raducanu showed signs of fatigue at the beginning of the second set and requested medical assistance after seven games. The situation worsened in the final set, where the 2021 US Open champion required medical attention again, this time for problems in the lower back, and had difficulty completing the match.

Raducanu did not have the presence of her coach Francisco Roig, who was in Barcelona. Instead, she was accompanied by her training partner Alexis Canter and the physical trainer Daniel Pohl. Canter provided support to Raducanu, who managed to stay ahead during the first set, despite showing frustration with her performance and losing her serve twice. The concern became evident in the second set, when Raducanu quickly found herself 2-0 down, moving slowly and being outplayed by Zhu. Raducanu managed to stay in the set, tying 2-2 and then 4-4 after consulting the doctor, where they took her blood pressure, but she made a forehand error on the set point in the tenth game. After a break in the bathroom, the situation did not improve. The problem in Raducanu’s back, which has affected her throughout the season, resurfaced. In the final set, he repeatedly doubled over at the beginning and requested a medical timeout after three games. Raducanu decided not to retire again, but could barely move, and the match came to an end quickly.