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Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu suffered a fresh injury setback that forced her to pull out of the ASB Classic 2025 in Auckland. A lower back injury has caused her to miss the start of the season and potentially put her Australian Open campaign in jeopardy as well.
Raducanu hinted towards an injury concern during her pre-tournament press conference. She tried her best to handle the situation but it wasn't meant to be, and the disappointment reflected in her official statement.
"I’ve tried my best to be ready. I love Auckland and the fans here. But unfortunately, I’ve picked up a back niggle and I won’t be ready in time," - Emma Raducanu on her withdrawal from the ASB Classic.
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Tournament director Nicolas Lamperin was aware of Raducanu's situation, and gave her a Tuesday start so that she could have a shot at playing. Despite the additional time, the Brit couldn't recover, and withdrew on Tuesday morning (December 31).
"Since she's been here, she tried every single day to train and do as much rehab as possible, and she found out this morning that it wasn't going to be enough, so she's decided to to pull out," - Tournament director Nicolas Lamperin on Emma Raducanu's decision to withdraw.
This is the second time in three years that an injury has interfered with Raducanu's campaign in Auckland. She made her ASB Classic debut in 2023 with a comeback win over Linda Fruhvirtova. However, an ankle injury forced her to retire halfway through her second-round contest against Viktoria Hruncakova. The Brit's poor luck with injuries has now become a recurring nightmare for her.
Emma Raducanu missed a good chunk of the 2024 season due to injuries as well
Emma Raducanu was sidelined from April 2023 after undergoing multiple surgeries. She returned to action in 2024, and her body broke down periodically throughout the season. Despite a healthy start to the season, she missed the WTA 1000 tournaments in Dubai and Miami.
After a solid start to the clay swing, Raducanu cited "physical and mental exhaustion" as the reason behind her first-round exit from the Madrid Open. She skipped the remainder of the clay season and returned to compete on grass, which she capped off with a fourth-round showing at Wimbledon.
Raducanu was excited to compete in Asia following the US Open. However, a foot injury forced her to throw in the towel during her quarterfinal match against Daria Kasatkina in Seoul, and she missed the remainder of the Asian swing. She did close out the season on a high, and remained unbeaten in her singles ties to lead Britain to the semifinals of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
