Emma Raducanu had just ‘5% chance’ of winning Madrid match
British number one Emma Raducanu was hampered by more physical distress as she missed out on a quarter-finals spot in the Madrid Open.
Raducanu was beaten by world number 37 Anhelina Kalinina 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 as she failed to win three straight matches for the first time since her 2021 US Open triumph.
Raducanu was looking back to her best in Madrid as she even admitted to feeling like she was playing her best tennis since lifting the trophy at Flushing Meadows back in September.
Following the match, Emma Raducanu made the admission that she had been struggling with a back problem coming into the match which hindered her chances of success.
The 19-year-old told reporters post-match, “I was struggling a bit with my back. I went into the match with it. Throughout the week I have been carrying some niggles, and it’s kind of just taking its toll, all of the matches at this kind of level.”
“I would have given myself a five percent chance of winning that match, and for it to almost happen, I think that was a positive thing.”
The latest injury scare is another block in the road for Raducanu who has had to navigate through many “niggles” in her first full year on the WTA tour.
She struggled with a blister on her racket hand in a Australian Open second-round defeat in January and also retired with a leg injury from a lengthy opening-round match in Mexico in February.
The British teenager’s Billie Jean King Cup debut also ended in painful fashion last month when she was hampered by a blister on her foot.
However, despite her injury setbacks, Raducanu remained positive about the match and set her sights for Rome next week.
“I think that’s a good thing that I feel like I’m going through this and my body is building with each match I play.”
“I’m feeling pretty positive. A lot of the time with me it’s just overload and then three days’, two, three days’ complete rest and I’m okay to start training again.”
“Hopefully the plan right now is to still go to Rome.”
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