Emma Raducanu needs medics again in worrying scenes before Ningbo Open exit
British number one Emma Raducanu is out of the Ningbo Open after needing multiple medical timeouts during her defeat to Chinese wildcard Zhu Lin on centre court
Emma Raducanu exited the Ningbo Open after struggling physically again during a first-round defeat to Chinese wildcard Zhu Lin 6-3, 4-6, 1-6. The British number one required two medical timeouts to see out the match, notably struggling with her lower back during the latter stages.
Raducanu called for the first timeout midway through the second set after approaching the chair umpire and asking for a pause. She had her blood pressure taken while sitting in her chair during a brief examination beside the court.
The Brit was down four games to three in the set before that several-minute stoppage and responded by winning the next game to draw level. Raducanu, however, dropped the next two to lose the set 6-4, which tied up the match after she won the first set 6-3.
A further medical timeout followed during the third set, with the physio stretching out her lower back. At one point, she was lying prone on the court while work was being done on the affected area, again for several minutes.
Raducanu was 2-1 down at the time of that intervention, but carried on once more after receiving treatment. She was clearly struggling as play continued, though, with her movement significantly reduced as she lost the following four games to bow out to the world No 219.
Zhu Lin acknowledged her struggles during an on-court interview. She explained that playing was difficult due to the proximity to the end of the season.
Raducanu is due to play at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo starting 20 October, with the Hong Kong Open beginning a week later. However, this latest setback appears to put her appearance at either of those tournaments in doubt.
The first major of next season, the Australian Open, is now only three months away. Any back injury could impact her participation Down Under.
Raducanu has not missed playing at Melbourne Park in any of the last four years. She progressed past the first round on each of those occasions.
Tuesday's worrying scenes followed her withdrawal from the Wuhan Open during her first-round match. On that occasion, she was visibly struggling with the conditions, as temperatures reached around 36°C and the humidity was almost 60%.
Raducanu was 6-1, 4-1 down when she withdrew following a medical timeout, during which her blood pressure and pulse were checked. Afterwards, she shared an update on social media.
"Last day at the doctor's in Wuhan… feeling better now," Raducanu wrote on Threads. "Shame I couldn't continue there, but thank you for the messages."
She has now lost three consecutive matches, including a defeat to Jessica Pegula at the China Open late last month.
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