Emma Raducanu, the former US Open champion, has withdrawn from this week’s Berlin Open as she continues to manage a persistent back injury.
The 22-year-old, set to reclaim her position as British number one on Monday, has been grappling with the issue since her appearance in Strasbourg last month ahead of the French Open.
Raducanu, who suffered a quarter-final defeat to Zheng Qinwen at Queen’s on Friday, took an off-court medical timeout during the match. “It’s been lingering for the last few weeks, and I have had back issues before,” she said. “It’s just a vulnerability of mine. I know I need to take good care of it. I need to let the back rest. [It] needs proper and careful management.”
Despite receiving a wildcard for the WTA 500 event in Berlin, which begins Monday and features nine of the world’s top 10 female players, Raducanu opted to prioritize her recovery over competing. She had chosen Berlin over Nottingham to prepare for the grass-court season.
The withdrawal comes as Raducanu is poised to overtake Katie Boulter in the WTA rankings update. Looking ahead, Raducanu is targeting a return for Eastbourne (June 23-28), where she secured her first win over a top-10 player, Jessica Pegula, last year, before advancing to the fourth round at Wimbledon (June 30-July 13).