Emma Raducanu has pulled out of the WTA 250 Hong Kong Tennis Open due to begin on 28 October.
In the meantime, I am doing what I can to be ready for BJKC Emma Raducanu
“I’m sorry to say that I will not be able to play in Hong Kong next week,” the 21-year old said in a statement posted on social media. “Whilst my foot is making good progress, I need a little more time before I am match fit.
“I hope to be able to come back and play this tournament in the future.”
Raducanu then confirmed that she hopes to be fit in time to play for Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga, where Team GB is set to face Germany in their first tie on 15 November.
“In the meantime, I am doing what I can to be ready for BJKC,” she added.
It is a further blow for Raducanu’s hopes of playing many tournaments during the Asian swing and attaining good results after being criticised for some of her decision-making during the North American hardcourt swing.
The 21-year-old started well in North America by reaching the quarter-final of the Citi Open in Washington, where she narrowly lost to Spain’s Paula Badosa, who went on to win the title.
She then opted to not to enter the qualifying events at the Canadian or Cincinnati Open, and, as a result, she had not played a match for 3 weeks before her opening US Open match, which may well have contributed to her loss to Sofia Kenin in 3 sets.
Raducanu attempted to learn from that mistake by planning a busier schedule during the Asian swing, and again began well at the Korea Open, where she reached the quarter-finals with wins over Peyton Stearns and Yuan Yue.
She then was forced to retire after 31 minutes against Daria Kasatkina, with a foot injury that had caused the Brit issues throughout the opening set.
A subsequent social media update from Raducanu revealed she had sprained ligaments in her foot.
After missing the China Open, she was also forced to withdraw from the final WTA-1000 tournament of the year in Wuhan, the WTA 500 Ningbo Open and WTA 250 Guangzhou Open.
The 2021 US Open champion was photographed back in London at the Great Ormond Street Hospital wearing a protective boot on her injured foot.
