Emma Raducanu raises alarm over health before Citi Open Doubles retirement

Emma Raducanu and Elena Rybakina withdrew from their doubles semi-final at the Washington Open after trailing 4-1 in the opening set against Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai. The walkover came shortly after Raducanu raised concerns about her physical condition following a grueling singles victory the previous day.

Raducanu battles through extreme conditions to reach Singles semi-final

The 22-year-old Brit advanced to the last four in singles after a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win over Greece’s Maria Sakkari on Thursday. Raducanu clawed back from a 5-2 deficit in the second set, sealing a significant win that marked her first semi-final appearance since her unforgettable triumph at the 2021 US Open.

She’s now set to face Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya on Saturday, with a potential reunion looming in the final against either her doubles partner, third seed Rybakina, or Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, the same opponent she defeated in the 2022 US Open final.

“It was one of the toughest matches I’ve ever played”

Raducanu’s withdrawal from the doubles event came as little surprise after her post-match remarks hinted at physical exhaustion. Addressing the intense Washington heat, she expressed uncertainty about continuing in the doubles draw.

I’m not feeling the best right now, so I just need to go and speak to the doctors, said Raducanu,

Currently ranked World No. 46. She also admitted that she doubted her ability to last had the match against Sakkari gone to a third set.

It was one of the toughest matches, conditions-wise, I have ever played in, she explained. Those points in the second set, I was getting a bit wobbly. I’m just happy I could close it out, and it was two sets.

She added,

You get to a point where you're so tired that you don't really know what you're doing anymore, and I think maybe that helped. I was also thinking if this goes to three sets, I don't know how I'm going to do it.

Strong return to form for Raducanu

It’s been an encouraging return to form for Raducanu this week. In earlier rounds, she upset seventh seed Marta Kostyuk and defeated four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. With her recent performances, Raducanu is poised to reclaim the British No.1 spot.