Emma Raducanu pulls out of tournament after latest injury blow

The 2021 US Open champion headed down to Australia early to prepare for the first Grand Slam of the new year, but she was forced to withdraw from the ABS Classic in Auckland before playing her first round match due to a back injury.

"Tried my best to be ready," Raducanu said on the WTA website. "I love Auckland and the fans here but unfortunately picked up a back niggle and won't be ready in time."

The severity of this injury and Raducanu's statement appeared to suggest it is a minor problem, but the optics of this latest fitness concern for the 22-year-old Brit are worrying familiar.

The tournament in Auckland was due to be Raducanu's first since hiring renowned fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura and she has vowed in recent weeks to play more tournaments as she looks to kick-start her career after a series of injury setbacks.

"I want to play more than I did this year," she said earlier this month. "I think now, with my set-up, I'm in a place where I can continue work on the road. So I don't necessarily need to come back to continue good physical work.

"I can do it pretty much every day, like microdoses. And I think that's actually going to be a great addition for me next year, which I'm excited about.

"Also with my tennis, I'm in a pretty good spot. I feel like I just want to see how much I can do, fulfil my potential. I'm curious about what my level can get to. I really want to play more. And I think a big part of that is just staying healthy."

Those positive sentiments have now been replaced by more concerns after she was forced to miss another tournament.

Raducanu has played just seven matches on the regular tennis tour since her run to the fourth round at Wimbledon last July, with a foot problem sustained when she was playing in Korea last September ruining her hopes of a busy end to 2024.

Her encouraging performances in winning three Billie Jean King Cup matches for Britain in November appeared to be a positive step forward ahead of the new season, but Raducanu's fitness concerns have already come back to haunt her.

The fading memory of her remarkable US Open win three years ago came after she played a long run of matches from Wimbledon and heading into the Grand Slam in New York.

Match sharpness and impressive fitness levels carried her through that tournament, but she has not been able to build up a run of matches over an extended period of time since then.

Playing with some pain is part of the process all top athletes live through and most would suggest they are rarely 100 per-cent fit over the course of a long season, but Raducanu appears to be keen to avoid any more serious injuries after the woeful run she has had since the US Open win.

Surgery on both wrists and her ankle last year left her questioning whether she would return to the top of the game, but she has shown signs that she can break back into the top 20 of the WTA Rankings again if she can maintain her fitness levels.

Nakamura's addition to her team should be a positive step forward in that process, but the barb that she has become a 'part time tennis player' may be fired at her once again if she is destined for another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

All players need to manage their schedule to ensure they do all they can to avoid injury, but every time Raducanu tries to step up the pace and play matches in quick succession, she appears to break down.

Her fans will be hoping to see her at the Australian Open, but she will now head into that tournament without any warm-up matches, as was the case going into the US Open in August.

Raducanu's lack of match practice was evident in her first round defeat against Sofia Kenin in that tournament and she will now be at the mercy of the Australian Open draw to decide whether she will have a realistic chance to work her way into the opening Grand Slam of 2025.

It is clear that Raducanu has the intention of playing more matches in 2025, but she has to doubt whether he body will allow her to achieve that aim. 

READ MORE: Injury curse strikes again for former US Open champion Emma Raducanu