By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Emma Raducanu is out of the Miami Open.
The 2021 US Open champion withdrew from the WTA 1000 tournament due to a lower back injury.
Report: Saudis Make Bid for Unified Tour
"I have been experiencing lower back pain and at this stage of my return to competition I don’t want to risk anything happening," Raducanu said. "I really tried my best to be ready and I’m sad to be pulling out of Miami as it’s a cool tournament but wish the event all the best.”
The 21-year-old Briton's back issue is "nothing serious" her management firm told BBC.
Wild card Raducanu, who lost to Bianca Andreescu at the 2023 Miami Open, was set to face China's Wang Xiyu in her Miami Open opener.
Raducanu joins world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal as the third Grand Slam champion to pull out of Miami.
Last month, Raducanu withdrew from the Dubai Duty Free Championships to return home and train.
That decision seemed to pay dividends as Raducanu scored back-to-back tournament wins at the BNP Paribas Open—the first time she's won successive match since the 2023 Indian Wells—and reached the round of 32 falling to Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 7-5.
Now ranked No. 288, Raducanu has posted a 5-5 record this season. She earned praise from Sabalenka after her Indian Wells defeat.
Wild card Raducanu, who is 29-32 since her rousing run to the 2021US Open title as a qualifier, earned more break points and defended her second serve better than the second seed, but Sabalenka’s jolting power helped her issue the final word.
"She fought till the end. She didn't give up in the last game," Sabalenka said in Indian Wells. "She was trying her best and during the match she was fighting for it.
"Of course I was super happy that I was able to close this match in two sets, and the last game was tight. You know, like, I felt like the last game was kind of like key moment. If I would lose that game this would give her emotionally like much more belief and confidence, and going to the tiebreak you never know. It's like 50/50. I didn't want that to happen.
"That's why I felt a little bit of relief after I closed this match in two sets."
Photo credit: Getty for Miami Open