“Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Miami Open due to a lower back injury.”

Emma Raducanu has pulled out of the Miami Open the night before the combined ATP and WTA 1000 event due to a lower back injury.

Raducanu was looking to capitalize on her impressive showings at Indian Wells in the previous 14 days. She had received an advantageous draw, as her first match would be against China’s Wang Xiyu and the winner would move on to face Anna Kalinskaya, the 22nd seeded player, in the next round.

Raducanu achieved her first double victory at Indian Wells since returning to the tour earlier this year. However, she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka with scores of 6-3 and 7-5, despite showcasing her tenacity and skilled shots in two well-matched sets.

Instead of maintaining her momentum and earning points to climb back up the rankings after being sidelined for eight months due to injuries on her hands and ankle, Raducanu has experienced another frustrating setback.

Based on information from a member of Raducanu’s team, the injury is not severe, but she has been experiencing discomfort in her back and decided not to take any chances of aggravating it. It is uncertain at this time if Raducanu will be able to participate in the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup match against France, which is the next event on her schedule.

Recently, it was declared that she will be joining the British team for the qualifying match in Le Portel, along with Katie Boulter, Heather Watson, and Harriet Dart. The match will begin on April 12th, giving Raducanu a time frame of three and a half weeks to recuperate and get ready for the commencement of the clay court season.

Andy Murray will have a challenging first-round match against former top 10 player Matteo Berrettini in the men’s draw. Berrettini, who was a finalist at Wimbledon in 2021, is making a comeback after struggling with injuries for the past 18 months and dropping out of the top 100. He recently played his first tournament in seven months, reaching the final of the Phoenix challenger before losing to Portugal’s No 60 ranked player, Nuno Borges. At last year’s Australian Open, Murray made an impressive recovery to defeat Berrettini in five sets after facing match point.

Source: theguardian.com