"I will just try and make it better": Emma Raducanu opens up about suffering with back injury during defeat to Strasbourg

Britain’s Emma Raducanu has opened up about dealing with a back injury during the Internationaux de Strasbourg. The 22-year-old’s journey in the competition ended in the second round as she lost to America’s Danielle Collins with a score of 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Talking after the match, Raducanu revealed that she was dealing with a back injury during the contest. The former world number 10 said that she suffers from back spasms occasionally and that her focus is on maintaining her fitness ahead of the busy season.

“Well I felt it after the first round and then like yesterday,” she said. “I just tried to manage it, got the treatment, it was pretty stiff and sore like I have a bad back problem. Before like the start of the year, I was out for like a few months because of it. So yeah it’s annoying, its frustrating. I get these spasms and they are quiet intense and can last quiet a long time. I will jus try and make it better.”

It was not the first time Raducanu has struggled with fitness concerns in her career. Right after winning the US Open back in 2021, which brought her all the limelight and attention, the former world number 10 stayed on the sidelines for a considerable amount of time. She returned to the court in 2023 but never managed to get it going. Last year, Raducanu was criticised for skipping some events and trying to maintain her workload.

The most recent result is a setback for the 2021 US Open winner, who has struggled to maintain consistency. She has now featured in nine competitions this season, and she managed to secure a spot in the quarterfinal on only one occasion. That was at the Miami Open, where she ended up losing in the last-eight contest to the 2024 US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula with a score of 6-4, 6-7, 6-2.