Emma Raducanu suffered another shock defeat in Asia, losing her first match at the Ningbo Open.
After winning the first set, Raducanu struggled with illness and a back issue, and could be seen trying to stretch the area at various moments during the match.
Despite taking two medical timeouts, Raducanu – who had her blood pressure taken – was unable to win the contest.
World number 219 Lin Zhu will advance and face top seed Mirra Andreeva in the round of 16 after defeating Raducanu 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
For Raducanu, this result represented another disappointment after her retirement in Wuhan, and as a result, she may need to make an important decision.
Emma Raducanu may need to end her season early
Raducanu is currently ranked 29th in the world, and consequently, is in the perfect position to qualify for the Australian Open as a seeded player.
If the Brit does qualify for the Australian Open as a seed, it will be the first occasion since the 2022 Australian Open.
However, after her latest physical struggles, it may be advisable for Emma Raducanu to end her season.
The Brit retired during her first match at the Wuhan Open due to dizziness amid sweltering conditions and has now struggled physically in two consecutive matches.
Simply put, Raducanu needs to prioritise her health over results, even if it means sacrificing a seeded spot at the 2026 Australian Open.
Raducanu currently sits 110 points ahead of Iva Jovic in the rankings. Jovic is the world number 33, and as things stand, would miss out on a seeded place at the Australian Open by one place.
| Name | WTA Ranking | WTA Points |
| Emma Raducanu | 29 | 1563 |
| Veronika Kudermetova | 30 | 1558 |
| McCartney Kessler | 31 | 1510 |
| Maya Joint | 32 | 1479 |
| Iva Jovic | 33 | 1453 |
Emma Raducanu’s last tournament of 2025
As it stands, Emma Raducanu has only entered one more tournament before the end of 2025 – the Hong Kong Open.
The tournament, taking place between October 27 and November 2, is also set to feature Katie Boulter, Leylah Fernandez and Alexandra Eala.
As stated previously, it would be advisable for Emma Raducanu to withdraw from this tournament and allow herself time to rest and recuperate sufficiently ahead of the 2026 season.
Currently, Raducanu has not entered any of the tournaments remaining in 2025: the Guangzhou Open, Pan Pacific Open, Jiangxi Open or Chennai Open.
