Raducanu's injury woes flares up, exits Miami Open in first round

MIAMI GARDENS: Emma Raducanu faces more injury worries after exiting the Miami Open in the first round and saying she will seek fresh input on her troubling painful wrist. 

Canadian Bianca Andreescu beat Raducanu 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 on Wednesday in a clash of two former US Open champions which produced some moments of quality from the British 20-year-old.

But Raducanu was visibly troubled by her wrist and after leaving the court she said that it was time to consider whether it was no longer an injury she could simply try to play through.

"It’s something I have been managing for some time. I just need to review after this tournament really and figure out what my next steps are," she told reporters.

"We have been managing it, keeping on top of it. I’m able to play in the short-term. But the current solutions aren’t very viable long-term," she added.

The wrist problem will be particularly frustrating for Raducanu after she showed signs of being on an upward trend with her run to the last 16 at Indian Wells.

Since winning the US Open in sensational fashion in 2021, Raducanu has been plagued by injuries and fitness problems and they show no signs of ending any time soon.

"I think that I’m doing the right things day to day, which brings me confidence. This year has been difficult in the sense that I have been managing a few existing injuries.

"Yeah, that has been annoying and frustrating because I’ve been working as best as I can. But I feel like I’m enjoying the competition," she added.

Raducanu said her injury was behind her decision not to play in the Billie Jean King Cup tie against France on hard courts in Coventry in mid-April.

The 20-year-old will play on clay in Stuttgart in the following week.

"Because of my existing injuries, the best medical advice was to not switch surfaces at such short notice. So that’s what I’ve been told," she said.