British No 1 Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Italian Open due to ongoing difficulties with post-viral illness. The announcement came less than 30 minutes after she conducted upbeat media interviews, where she expressed optimism about her recovery.
Raducanu had spent the last few days at the Foro Italico, playing practice sets with other competitors. As a seeded player, she received a bye and was scheduled to contest her second-round match against Solana Sierra or a qualifier.
On Tuesday evening, Raducanu fulfilled her mandatory pre-tournament media obligations. She stated, 'Last two months, in the beginning, it was quite difficult. Wasn’t feeling the best physically. And I think it had just been lingering for a while. Whereas the last three weeks, I think I’ve really turned a corner and I feel so much better.'
However, less than 30 minutes later, at 7pm local time, the tournament supervisor confirmed her withdrawal. Players on-site are required to conduct at least one media activity after withdrawing to avoid a fine; had she not spoken, Raducanu would have faced a $15,000 (£11,000) fine.
Raducanu's absence from the sport will now extend to more than two months. She began struggling with a virus during the Middle East swing in February, and symptoms persisted. After a poor showing at Indian Wells in March, she opted for an extended break.
This has been another difficult year for Raducanu, who started the season with a foot injury before falling ill. She had recently reunited with former coach Andrew Richardson to build match fitness. Despite the challenges, she remains optimistic, saying, 'I have a lot of energy and motivation inside of me.'
