"I’m not feeling the best": Emma Raducanu's concerning comments before retiring from DC Open doubles semifinal raises fitness doubts

Britain’s Emma Raducanu is on a dream run at the DC Open. The 22-year-old cemented her spot in the semifinal of the competition on Friday after beating Greece’s Maria Sakkari in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 7-5. With that win, Raducanu cemented her spot in the first semifinal of a WTA event in 2025.

Despite all of that, Raducanu finished the day with concerns about her fitness ahead of the much-awaited last-four clash against Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya. The reason is Raducanu’s decision to retire from the doubles semifinal against the pair of America’s Taylor Townsend and China’s Zhang Shuai. Raducanu and her partner Elena Rybakina’s decision to retire from the contest came after just five games in the first set, where they were trailing 4-1.

Raducanu, after beating Sakkari, admitted during the on-court interview that she was not feeling 100 per cent after playing in the heat. Raducanu stated that she was glad that the match ended before the third set, as it was ‘incredibly difficult’ playing in the heat in Washington.

“It was brutal today,” said Raducanu during an on-court interview. “Thanks to everyone for coming out and sitting through the heat. It’s incredibly difficult playing, but when I’ve sat and watched matches in the heat, when you’re not moving in the seat, it’s even harder. It’s for sure physical, because if you don’t have the abilities then your body will fail you. But at a certain point, it then becomes mental. I knew after the first or second game, it was such a long match, the first set was over an hour.”

Raducanu, during the same interview, admitted that she was not feeling ‘best’ after the match and stated that doctors will decide whether she will be able to play later in the day. Raducanu noted that right from the time of the warm-up, she knew it would be a difficult day to play tennis, especially in the daytime. Raducanu also highlighted that humidity was the primary reason that played a significant role in her feeling the way she did after winning a hard-fought contest.

“I’m not feeling the best right now, so I just need to go and speak to the doctors,” said Raducanu. “I think 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. I think the humidity here, as well, it just makes it feel completely like you have just opened an oven and it just stayed open and your head is in there. That’s how it feels. Wimbledon, it gets hot in England, but it’s a drier heat, not quite the same sweating. Today, even in the match warmup, you just go outside and you’re sweating. Honestly, it’s even hotter watching, I think, because you’re sat and you don’t create any movement and wind and flowing. A credit to everyone, yeah, and much appreciated to getting out higher and watching.”

Those comments suggest that Raducanu is unlikely to be 100 per cent fit for the semifinal of the competition on Saturday against Kalinskaya, who secured her spot in the last four after beating Denmark’s Clara Tauson in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-5. However, there has been no indication from the player or her camp that Raducanu will not play against Kalinskaya. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two players in professional tennis. The winner of Raducanu and Kalinskaya will face the winner of the other semifinal between Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina and Canada’s Leylah Fernandez.