Emma Raducanu fighting her biggest phobia amid worrying French Open injury update

Kevin Palmer 24 May 2025 11:06 PM

Emma Raducanu at the French Open

Emma Raducanu has issued an alarming injury update on the eve of the French Open that has not dispelled doubts over her participation in Paris.

The 2021 US Open champion suffered a back spasm during her defeat against Danielle Collins in Strasbourg on Wednesday, with this injury a recurring problem for the 22-year-old.

There has been speculation that she may be forced to pull out of the tournament at Roland Garros and when asked whether she was fit to play, her response was less than convincing.

“It’s not feeling 100%,” said Raducanu. “I had a spasm in Strasbourg, and just been trying to manage it as best I can doing treatment.

“I’ve been on the practice court last night and this morning. Yeah, it felt okay, but obviously it’s different playing a match. I’m trying to do everything to get up to speed as fast as possible.

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“It is similar to the problem I had in Australia, I would say the one before Australia was worse. I feel like this one I kind of caught before it fully locked up. So I think the treatment is a lot of it with the physios, a lot of it with heat. Been doing some dry needling where they twitch the needle, like they move it.

“At the start of the year I was so scared of needles. It was my biggest phobia. That was the only way I was going to be able to play Australia.

“So since then, I’ve been kind of dipping my toes into it because I know it helps, even though I’m really scared of them. That’s how I’ve kind of been trying to manage it.”

Raducanu has turned in a much-improved clay court season in 2025, after she opted to skip playing at the French Open last year.

She will soon be back on her favoured grass courts and will be one of the star attractions at the brand new Queen’s Club WTA 500 event in London next month.

While her thoughts may already be turning to grass courts, she is satisfied with the work she has put in on clay courts, which included wins at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open.

“I think I’m happy to have put some more time in on the clay this year,” she added.

“I think last year and the years before I probably would have, now looking back, preferred to have done more on the clay so that this year it didn’t necessarily feel brand new. And just have more time on it, more experience banked.

“I think doing well at Wimbledon helped with that decision, but I think it wasn’t necessarily just that I skipped the clay season to get ready for the grass.

“It wasn’t just that. I had a few things off the court, just trying to manage everything and clear my head and get in a good spot for Wimbledon and the grass.

“Luckily, that happened, but I don’t think what I did last year I would prefer to do going forward, and that would be my strategy.”