Emma Raducanu was keen on "pushing herself physically" in Ningbo, but it didn't go well after the world No. 29 dealt with multiple issues and lost her first-round match after refusing to retire.
Last week in Wuhan, the 2021 US Open champion was mightily struggling on the court against Ann Li as she appeared to be hampered by the humid conditions. After having her vitals checked, the Briton retired while 1-6 1-4 down.
On Tuesday, Raducanu returned to action at the WTA 500 tournament in Ningbo. Unlike in Wuhan, the British tennis player made a positive start to her opening Ningbo match and won the first set 6-3 against Zhu Lin.
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But then, the 22-year-old started to deal with physical issues and requested a medical timeout for a lower-back issue late in the second set - which she ended up losing. Early in the third set, the doctor came out to check the world No. 29's vitals. For the rest of the match, the Briton evidently struggled with her movement but refused to quit as 219th-ranked wildcard Zhu completed a 3-6 6-4 6-1 win.
What Raducanu exactly said in her pre-tournament presser in Ningbo?
I think it's a special feeling. I feel very comfortable, I feel like I get amazing support here, which is so nice. I love how invested the Chinese fans are and how much support they give. I think where its different is just, its at the end of the season, so you need to push harder physically, youre feeling it a bit more, and mentally as well, to just focus. Thats probably the biggest difference," she said.
Unfortunately for Raducanu, Ningbo didn't provide her the breakthrough she targeted. Now, it will be interesting to see whether she decides to end her season amid her ongoing struggles.
