Emma Raducanu Pulls Out of China Open with Injury

Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from this week’s China Open in Beijing due to a foot injury. The 21-year-old British tennis player sustained the injury during her Korea Open quarter-final match against Daria Kasatkina on Saturday where she retired after losing the first set. Raducanu had initially appeared in the Beijing draw released on Monday but shortly thereafter announced her withdrawal citing a sprained ligament in her foot that requires more time to heal.

In her post on X (formerly Twitter), Raducanu expressed her disappointment, stating, “It means I can’t play in Beijing, but I hope to be back competing as soon as I can.” Ranked 54th in the world, she was set to face a qualifier in the first round with a potential matchup against Chinese fifth seed Zheng Qinwen looming in the next round. Raducanu, who gained attention by winning the 2021 US Open as a teenage qualifier has faced multiple setbacks over the past year.

These include surgeries on both wrists and her left ankle which have limited her ability to compete in tournaments. She recently mentioned that she had been “nursing a few niggles” but felt more trust in her body after hard work earlier this year. Despite her injury, Emma Raducanu had shown promise by winning two matches in Seoul against higher-ranked players bringing her closer to breaking into the world’s top 50 for the first time since August 2022.

This season, she has played 33 matches on the WTA Tour just three shy of her total from 2022. Raducanu’s next scheduled tournament is in Wuhan, China, starting on October 7. After her recent performances, she remains optimistic about her return to competitive tennis.