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Emma Raducanu will not play at Berlin Open: Why did British No. 1 withdraw? Full details

Emma Raducanu will not play at Berlin Open: Why did British No. 1 withdraw? Full details

Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from this week's Berlin Open as she continues to manage a lingering back problem ahead of a key stretch in the grass-court season.
The 22-year-old, who is set to reclaim her status as British number one when the WTA rankings update on Monday, has been struggling with the injury since playing in Strasbourg before the French Open.
The former US Open champion required an off-court medical timeout during her quarter-final defeat to Zheng Qinwen at the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham on Friday.
'It's been lingering for the last few weeks, and I have had back issues before,' Raducanu said. 'It's just a vulnerability of mine. I know I need to take good care of it. I need to let the back rest. [It] needs proper and careful management.'
Raducanu had accepted a wildcard into the WTA 500 event in Berlin, choosing it over Nottingham. The tournament begins Monday and includes nine of the world's top 10 female players.
Despite the withdrawal, Raducanu is expected to be fit for Eastbourne (23–28 June) and Wimbledon, which starts on 30 June.
Last year, she earned her first top-10 win by defeating Jessica Pegula at Eastbourne before reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon.

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Emma Raducanu will not play at Berlin Open: Why did British No. 1 withdraw? Full details
Emma Raducanu will not play at Berlin Open: Why did British No. 1 withdraw? Full details

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Emma Raducanu will not play at Berlin Open: Why did British No. 1 withdraw? Full details

Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from this week's Berlin Open as she continues to manage a lingering back problem ahead of a key stretch in the grass-court season. The 22-year-old, who is set to reclaim her status as British number one when the WTA rankings update on Monday, has been struggling with the injury since playing in Strasbourg before the French Open. The former US Open champion required an off-court medical timeout during her quarter-final defeat to Zheng Qinwen at the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham on Friday. 'It's been lingering for the last few weeks, and I have had back issues before,' Raducanu said. 'It's just a vulnerability of mine. I know I need to take good care of it. I need to let the back rest. [It] needs proper and careful management.' Raducanu had accepted a wildcard into the WTA 500 event in Berlin, choosing it over Nottingham. The tournament begins Monday and includes nine of the world's top 10 female players. Despite the withdrawal, Raducanu is expected to be fit for Eastbourne (23–28 June) and Wimbledon, which starts on 30 June. Last year, she earned her first top-10 win by defeating Jessica Pegula at Eastbourne before reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon.

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Emma Raducanu said she was not too pleased with the level she displayed in her 6-2 6-4 defeat to Zheng Qinwen at the Queen's Club Championships on Friday, but the Briton dismissed any fears of a serious back injury. In an entertaining battle, Raducanu had a few bright moments and secured a double break to go 3-0 up in the second set after taking a medical timeout for a back issue, but she was eventually overpowered by the Chinese world number five. '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,' Raducanu, who also competed in the doubles alongside Katie Boulter, told the BBC after her defeat in London. '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. '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. They are stronger than me and have had more time training - I need to do the same. I need to raise my level.' Raducanu is next scheduled to compete at the German Open in Berlin as she continues her preparations for Wimbledon.

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