An udnated picture of British tennis star Emma Raducanu. — Reuters
British tennis star Emma Raducanu has postponed the start of her clay-court season, withdrawing from the Linz Open to focus on recovering from a viral illness, her representatives have confirmed.
Raducanu, 23, was scheduled to compete at the WTA 500 Linz Open in Austria next week, but has now withdrawn.
International media reported that she is prioritising a full recovery before returning to competitive action on clay.
The world number 28 began feeling unwell during the Middle East hard-court swing in February. She played at Indian Wells last month but subsequently decided to skip the Miami Open, extending a period of uncertainty over her season.
Since her breakthrough as a teenage qualifier winning the US Open in 2021, Raducanu’s career has been intermittently disrupted by injuries and health issues. Despite this, last season saw encouraging progress, with the Briton completing 50 matches for the first time in her career.
This year, however, her campaign has again been inconsistent, featuring early defeats, a coaching change, and health setbacks. Raducanu has played six tournaments so far, winning seven of 14 matches, including four victories en route to the Transylvania Open final, where she chased her first title since New York.
Raducanu now aims to return for the Madrid Open, the opening WTA 1000 event of the European clay-court season.
It is pertinent to mention that her withdrawal from Linz comes shortly after fellow Brit Jack Draper pulled out of the Monte Carlo Masters as he continues his cautious return following an arm injury. The French Open, the highlight of the clay swing, is set to begin at the end of May.