Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her opening match at the Qatar Open, unable to finish against Camila Osorio due to injury.
Raducanu was behind 6-2, 4-6, 0-2 in the round of 64 in Doha when she signaled that she couldn’t continue.
This was her sixth match in just eight days, following a run to the final at the Transylvania Open.
She lost that final to Sorana Cirstea, who then opted not to compete in Doha after her win.
“I think having three matches back-to-back has been quite a lot for me after last week as well,” Raducanu said. “So I think I need a little bit of time to recover.”
Raducanu’s Qatar Open exit down to illness
The official reason for Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal from the Qatar Open has now been confirmed as illness, according to the WTA main draw list.
Amanda Anisimova, the defending champion, also pulled out of her first match while trailing 7-5, 6-7(3), 1-4 against Karolina Pliskova.
Anisimova won last year’s tournament, beating Jelena Ostapenko in the final.
In addition to those retirements, there were four more withdrawals after the draw was made. Sorana Cirstea changed her schedule after a busy stretch in Romania.
Elsewhere, Barbora Krejcikova, McCartney Kessler and Paula Badosa all withdrew due to injury.
This came on top of earlier pullouts from Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Iva Jovic and Naomi Osaka – who missed out with a stomach bug during the Abu Dhabi Open.
What’s next for Emma Raducanu after her Qatar withdrawal?
Emma Raducanu’s choice to play in Qatar is under scrutiny after she was forced to retire due to illness. She’d already been dealing with health issues, so it wasn’t a complete surprise when she couldn’t finish her match against Camila Osorio.
The decision to compete likely stemmed from the momentum she felt following a strong run to the final of the Transylvania Open, even though she lost there.
That confidence showed early against Osorio, but as the match went on, it became clear that illness was taking its toll.
This time around, though, injury wasn’t a factor – something that has often disrupted her career in the past.
Instead, she can look back at her performance in Romania as a positive step forward. Even with this setback in Qatar, it’s important not to lose sight of her recent progress.
Since winning the US Open in 2021, Raducanu has faced intense scrutiny for not meeting lofty expectations. But recent signs suggest she might be turning a corner.
The next event on her schedule is the WTA 1000 Dubai later this month. Taking time now to fully recover could be exactly what she needs heading into that tournament.
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