Emma Raducanu pulls out of Hong Kong Open and left red-faced days after statement

Emma Raducanu has become the latest WTA star to drop out of the upcoming Hong Kong Open just days after reiterating her intention to compete in the event. Raducanu hasn’t played since being forced to retire from the Korea Open midway through her quarter-final match with Daria Kasatkina. It’s been a miserable year for the Brit, who has struggled with injury problems and has already missed four tournaments on the WTA Tour’s Asian swing.

Raducanu looked as if she was prepped to make her return at the Hong Kong Open, telling her fans last week she was ready to go. Taking to social media on Thursday, Raducanu said: “Hello everyone, it’s Emma Raducanu here. I really cannot wait to come and play the Prudential Women’s Hong Kong Open. “It’s my first time playing the WTA event there, but I was there in December last year and I really loved the city.

“So I’m very much looking forward to coming and I hope to see you all there in October.” But her foot problem appears to have got the better of her once again, with Raducanu dropping out of the Hong Kong Open just one week before the event’s start date. It’s yet another setback for Raducanu, who had been hoping to cram in as many tournament appearances as possible before the end of the current season.

Commenting on her injury woes back in September, the 21-year-old added: “I think the rest of the year, as long as I’m healthy, I’m going to try and finish the season and play as many matches as I can. “It’s something I’m really light on since the grass through the (Washington) DC period. I’ve not played many points, even in practice.” She added: “I think I had three hours of match experience which can only aid me going into the next few weeks. “For me now, I just want to play matches and, in the meantime, do a little bit of work on my game where I can.”

Raducanu has been replaced at the WTA 250 event by Moscow-born American Sofia Kenin. But Raducanu isn’t the only big-name star to have dropped out of the Hong Kong Open, with fellow US Open winner Noami Osaka also withdrawing through injury. Commenting on her injury, Osaka said: “I love visiting the tournament and despite the obvious disappointment of not being able to play, I want to reassure all my wonderful Hong Kong fans that I will still be attending the event.” The action gets underway in Hong Kong on Monday, October 28.