Emma Raducanu ‘sorry’ to continue absence after withdrawing from another Asian tournament
Emma Raducanu has announced that she has withdrawn from the Hong Kong Open, with the Brit admitting that she ‘needs a little bit more time’ to nurse her foot injury.
Raducanu has not competed since the Korea Open, where she retired from her quarter-final match against Daria Kasatkina.
After the retirement, Raducanu revealed that she had sprained some ligaments in her foot and subsequently withdrew from Chinese tournaments in Beijing, Wuhan, Ningbo and Guangzhou.
There was speculation that Raducanu would be returning to action in Hong Kong, after footage was released of her practicing at the LTA National Tennis Centre, but she has now confirmed that will not be the case.
“Hellooo, I’m sorry to say that I will not be able to play in Hong Kong next week,” Raducanu said on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Whilst my foot is making good progress, I need a little more time before I am match fit. I hope to be able to come back and play this tournament in the future! In the meantime, I am doing what I can to be ready for BJKC [Billie Jean King Cup].”
Hellooo, I’m sorry to say that I will not be able to play in Hong Kong next week. Whilst my foot is making good progress, I need a little more time before I am match fit. I hope to be able to come back and play this tournament in the future! In the meantime, I am doing what I can…
— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) October 22, 2024
Despite this setback, Raducanu has won more matches on the WTA Tour in a calendar year than ever before (20), enabling her to climb from outside the top 300 to World No.55.
Raducanu will now aim to play the BJK Cup Finals in Malaga to end her season, as part of the British team alongside Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls.
Great Britain will take on Germany in the first round of the BJK Cup Finals on 15th November, with the winners going onto play defending champions Canada.
Inside the baseline…
This is such a disappointing announcement for Emma Raducanu to have to make, but it does not make sense to go from London to Hong Kong and then back to Europe for the BJK Cup Finals in Malaga. However, it is just a shame as Raducanu appeared to have taken the criticism about not playing enough on board and had planned to have a busy Asian schedule. Maybe this injury setback proves why Raducanu plays a more reserved schedule, but hopefully she can get back fit to represent Great Britain next month, as she is the main reason why they are in the BJK Cup Finals after her impressive performance earlier this year.
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