Emma Raducanu issues alarming injury update after Queen’s Club defeat
Emma Raducanu has issued a worrying injury update after she was beaten by Qinwen Zheng at the Queen’s Club.
Raducanu impressed in her opening two matches of the WTA 500 tournament in London, as the 22-year-old raised hopes that she may be able to lift her first WTA Tour title in front of her home fans, yet that dream was dashed by Zheng, who stormed to a 6-2, 6-4 win under a baking sun in the English capital.
The defeat halted Raducanu’s hopes of leaping into the top 32 of the WTA Rankings, which would earn her a seeded position for the third Grand Slam of the year at Wimbledon.
Yet her hopes of shining in her home Grand Slam may be under threat after she admitted the back problem that hampered her clay court hopes has flared up again.
Raducanu received treatment for the injury during the defeat against Zheng and she was downbeat as she faced the media after the loss.
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“I have been struggling with my back since Strasbourg, and it’s just been something that’s been on and off,” said Raducanu, referring to a match she lost against Danielle Collins.
“I have been managing it pretty well over the last few weeks, but I guess as the week goes on and I have played five matches now. Even if two were doubles, I think, yeah, it just tests it out. And I just felt it, I think, as the load goes up.
“They took me off court and taped it to give me some extra stability, and some painkillers. Yeah, that was it.”
She was then asked whether she was concerned the injury would have an impact on her hopes of performing at her best at Wimbledon and offered up a worrying response.
“I don’t know,” she stated. “It’s been lingering for the last few weeks, and I have had, like, back issues before. I think it’s just a vulnerability of mine. I know I need to take good care of it.
“I’m not overly concerned that it’s something serious, but I know it’s something that’s very annoying and needs proper and careful management.”
Questions have to be asked about why Raducanu opted to play in the doubles event at the Queen’s Club alongside fellow Brit Katie Boulter, as that meant she played competitive matches five days in a row.
If she came into the event with a back problem, the decision to add extra matches to her schedule was curious and now she has hinted she may not play in upcoming tournaments in Berlin and Eastbourne ahead of Wimbledon.
Raducanu is due to travel to play in the WTA 500 tournament in Berlin next week and she admitted a decision on her participation will be made imminently.
“I don’t know,” she added, as she pondered whether she will play in Berlin. “I need to think about that and see how it settles and recovers over the next few hours.”
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