Emma Raducanu is not expected to be out of action for long after pulling out of the Miami Open hours shortly before she was due to play her opening match. It has been confirmed that the back injury that prompted Raducanu’s withdrawal from the Miami Open is “nothing serious”, according to her representatives. The 21-year-old, who was given a wild card for the prestigious WTA tournament, was set to play China’s Wang Xiyu in the first round on Tuesday.
However, pain in her lower back caused Raducanu to pull out, with the Kent star unwilling to take any risks.
It is another blow for Raducanu, ranked down at 288, in her attempts to establish herself as a consistent presence on the WTA Tour. The former US Open champion was sidelined from May until the end of last season after undergoing surgery on both wrists and one ankle, the latest in a long line of injury problems since winning at Flushing Meadows in 2021.
She made her return at the start of this year and showed promising signs by making the third round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells last week before losing to Aryna Sabalenka. Raducanu’s withdrawal in Miami casts possible doubt over her availability for Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup tie with France on April 12-13, but the positive update suggests she will not be out of action for long. The youngster is expected to return to the UK for a period of rehab and will need to make a decision on her participation in the Bille Jean King Cup tie in France in a couple of weeks.
British number one Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart and Heather Watson make up the quartet. Captain Anne Keothavong told the LTA website: “I’m delighted to be travelling with a full-strength team off the back of some terrific results recently. “The French side will present a significant challenge as always, but we all know how representing GB inspires us and each year we are getting stronger and better as a team.” The qualifying round takes place in Le Portel, France, on April 12-13, on indoor clay, with Raduvanu scheduled to play on the same surface at the Porsche Cup in Stuttgart the following week.
Meanwhile, tennis icon Martina Navratilova is backing Raducanu to bounce back, even though she suggests her iconic 2021 US Open win has become a burden to her ambitions. “It was amazing when she won but it’s become a handicap because the expectations have gone sky-high,” nine-time Wimbledon champion Navratilova told Sky Sports Tennis.
“It wasn’t a fluke because Emma has got that level. It wasn’t just she played great tennis and then all of a sudden she can’t play, but the pressure that’s been on her since then – particularly being a Brit – you can’t get away from it.
“It’s a big burden to carry, but hopefully she’ll get back to it and most of all she needs to get healthy and stay healthy – and, that way, you can build on that. “It’s hard to build any confidence and momentum from winning because you don’t stay healthy enough to win. It’s a nasty Catch 22 where you can win with confidence but you can’t have confidence without winning. “Hopefully she’ll get healthy and stay healthy so we’ll see her talent again.”
