Emma Raducanu’s Ningbo Open came to a ‘timid’ end amid concerning health and injury blows
Emma Raducanu’s difficult 2025 Asian Swing continued as she suffered a surprise loss to Zhu Lin in the first round of the Ningbo Open after struggling with physical issues.
The 22-year-old fell 6-3, 4-6, 1-6 to Zhu, a 230th-ranked Chinese wildcard, in just under two and a half hours at the WTA 500 tournament.
Raducanu battled hard to win an opening set that featured five breaks of serve, converting her fifth set point in a 17-point final game.
Renowned commentator Nick Lester, who was covering the match for Sky Sports, assessed in the sixth game of the second set that Zhu was “letting Raducanu off the hook” as she was looking the “stronger player physically.”
Zhu did made the breakthrough in that game, though, as Raducanu double faulted to lose serve. However, Zhu surrendered her break lead in the next game as she double faulted twice either side of an excellent Raducanu return.
Raducanu then called for the physio and had her blood pressure checked during a lengthy medical timeout. She netted a forehand on set point to lose serve for the third time in the second set.
The Brit’s physical struggles were clear in the early stages of the third set, and she double faulted to lose serve in the second game.
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The former US Open champion received treatment on her lower back after breaking back in the third game, but it did not improve her fortunes as Zhu won the next four games to seal the upset.
After Raducanu floated a tame forehand into the net on match point, Lester summarised: “A rather timid finish to Emma Raducanu’s campaign in Ningbo.”
When will Raducanu play next?
Raducanu has signed up to play the Pan Pacific Open and the Hong Kong Tennis Open in the next two weeks, but the prospect of her playing again in 2025 is uncertain after her latest health setbacks.
As Raducanu left the court, Lester said: “Not the Asian Swing that Raducanu had in mind right now. It remains to be seen whether she will cut the season short and get ready for 2026.”
The former world No 10’s preparations for Ningbo were significantly impacted after she was forced to retire due to physical issues in her opening round match at the Wuhan Open last week.
She revealed four days after that match that she was at the doctor’s in Wuhan, which cast doubt over her participation in Ningbo.
What does the loss mean for Raducanu’s ranking?
Raducanu’s defeat means she has missed the opportunity to continue her climb up the WTA Rankings, having jumped from 30th to 29th this week.
The 22-year-old had briefly moved up one place to 28th in the Live WTA Rankings, but she is back down to 29th after Dayana Yastremska defeated Victoria Mboko in her opening match in Ningbo.
Raducanu could drop to 31st, depending on the results of Veronika Kudermetova and McCartney Kessler — who are still in action in Ningbo.
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