Emma Raducanu has pulled out of next week’s Berlin Open due to her ongoing back problems.
The 22-year-old has been struggling with an issue in the build-up to Wimbledon, which begins in only two weeks time.
Raducanu was in action at Queens’ over the last week, reaching the quarter-finals of the tournament and becoming British No.1.
However, after her defeat to Qinwen Zheng, in which she took a medical timeout, she was asked about her back issue.
She told the BBC: “I’ve played five matches in a pretty short amount of time.
“I’m probably feeling that, so I need to let the back rest and see how it goes from there.
“I’m not overly concerned that [the back issue] is something serious.
“But I know it’s something that’s very annoying and needs proper and careful management.”
Raducanu mentioned ‘careful management’ of her back in her interview, and she’s now proceeding with caution ahead of Wimbledon.
She has decided to remove herself from the Berlin Open, which gets started on Monday, to look after her injury.
It has been something she has been dealing with since competing in Strasbourg before the French Open began.
And now, rather than risking further damage, Raducanu is going to have a break and prioritise her recovery.
Raducanu won’t play to prioritise recovery from her back issueGetty She has been suffering from back issues over the last monthGettyBut there are some negative knock-on effects from that decision.
Raducanu will now not be seeded at Wimbledon, as she will remain outside the top 32 in the WTA rankings.
The Brit No.1 needed to win a couple more games at either Queens or the Berlin Open to rise from her spot in 37th.
Following her loss in the quarter-finals in London and now her decision not to play in Germany, that’s now not possible.
That is a big blow for Raducanu, who would have wanted a seed in her home Grand Slam to use to her advantage.
Seeded players are spread throughout the initial tournament draw, meaning they won’t play each other too early.
Her withdrawal means she won’t be seeded at Wimbledon this summerGettyBy missing out on a seed, Raducanu will now run the risk of being handed a tough draw against some of the best in the world.
On top of that, her fitness will remain a doubt if this lingering back issue continues to pester her.
That could throw her participation at Wimbledon into question too, with only two weeks until it begins.
Raducanu is reported to still be confident of featuring in the Eastbourne Open the week before Wimbledon though.
And she was seemingly focused on future events when speaking on Friday, following her Queens quarter-final loss.
“I’ve improved a lot and done a lot of good work behind the scenes, but there’s a lot to go to get to the next level,” she said.
“They are stronger than I and have had more time training – I need to do the same. I need to raise my level.”
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