Emma Raducanu once again faced physical challenges, resulting in a first-round exit at the Ningbo Open against China’s Zhu Lin, which raises concerns about her upcoming season.
The British No 1 returned to the court just a week after withdrawing from her initial match in Wuhan due to dizziness caused by the hot and humid weather. On Sunday, she shared a photo from a doctor’s office on social media, indicating she felt better; however, after winning the first set against Zhu, she ultimately succumbed to a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 defeat.
The champion sought medical assistance once more—this time for her persistent lower back issues—while limping towards the conclusion of the match.
Raducanu was without her coach, Francisco Roig, who was taking a week off in Barcelona, and instead had her partner, Alexis Canter, along with physical trainer Daniel Pohl, supporting her from the sidelines.
Canter provided significant encouragement as Raducanu managed to maintain a lead during the first set, despite showing signs of frustration with her performance and losing her serve twice.
Concern grew during the second set as the 22-year-old quickly fell behind 2-0, moving sluggishly and being outperformed by Zhu, who was ranked just outside the top 30 two years prior before injuries caused her ranking to drop below 200.
Raducanu remained competitive in the set, leveling at 2-2 and then 4-4 after consulting with the doctor, who checked her blood pressure; however, she netted a forehand on set point in the 10th game.
She walked off the court slowly for a bathroom break, but her situation did not improve, as Raducanu’s back issue, which has troubled her at various points throughout the season, flared up once again.
She doubled over frequently early in the deciding set and subsequently took a medical timeout for treatment after three games. Raducanu chose not to retire again, but her mobility was severely limited, and the match concluded swiftly.
Raducanu is scheduled to participate in two more tournaments this year: she has received a wild card for the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo next week and is listed for the Hong Kong Open the following week.
