Raducanu’s Health Woes Continue on Court in Dubai
Emma Raducanu’s recent struggles with health and fitness have once again cast a shadow over her on-court performances, this time at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The British star was required to have her blood pressure checked by a doctor during her first-round match on Monday, a concerning development that follows a series of similar incidents.
Raducanu’s journey to the Transylvania Open final earlier this month was marred by physical challenges. This was then followed by a forced retirement in her opening match at the Qatar Open last week, where she withdrew in the third set against Camila Osorio, just one game after receiving a visit from the tournament doctor. It was later confirmed that Raducanu had been suffering from a chest infection during that period.
The issues appeared to resurface in Dubai. Raducanu was granted a medical timeout before the commencement of the second set in her encounter with Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic. Ruzic, who stepped in as a late replacement for the injured Elisabetta Cocciaretto, had already secured a dominant 6-1 lead in the opening set against the British number one.
During the medical break, a doctor was observed checking Raducanu’s blood pressure on the court. She was also administered some medication. Despite these concerns, Raducanu showed remarkable resilience. She managed to continue the match and, after falling behind a break in the second set, fought back impressively to win it in a tie-break, forcing the contest into a deciding third set.
The momentum seemed to be with Raducanu as she established an early 2-0 lead in the final set. However, Ruzic staged a dramatic comeback, winning six consecutive games to ultimately clinch victory with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-7, 6-2.
Raducanu had opted to compete in the Middle East swing with the aim of building on her promising performance in Romania, the homeland of her father, Ion. Reaching the final in Transylvania marked her first appearance in a championship match since her historic triumph at the US Open in 2021.
During her run in Romania, Raducanu had displayed encouraging signs, battling through a shoulder complaint and an arduous semi-final clash against Oleksandra Oliynykova. She was ultimately defeated in the final by Sorana Cirstea, with scores of 6-0, 6-2. Post-match, Raducanu revealed that she had been contending with a chest infection.
“I’ve already been battling a bit of a chest infection, but that [semi-final] match took it out of me extra,” Raducanu had shared with the BBC following the final. “So today, I was pretty gassed from the start. But I would much rather have this situation than have lost that match and not played today and be part of the final.”
The current period for Raducanu has also seen her operating without a full-time coach. She parted ways with Francisco Roig after her early exit from the Australian Open in January.
The 23-year-old’s presence in Dubai this year also carries a more personal and unsettling context, given her experience with a stalker at the tournament last year. During her second-round match, Raducanu spotted an individual who had previously exhibited “fixated behaviour.” The sighting left her visibly distressed, having recognised the man who had approached her days prior and presented her with a letter.
Reflecting on the ordeal in an interview with Daily Mail Sport in December, Raducanu expressed that she had “gotten over it” and no longer felt as though she was living in fear or constantly looking over her shoulder. Her ongoing physical challenges, however, suggest that her battles on court are far from over.
