Emma Ladukane will miss next week’s Berlin Open due to back issues as she tries to get ready for Wimbledon.
Radkanu, ranked 37th in the world, has been dealing with the back issue since before the French opening last month. She made a court-off medical timeout on Friday when she lost to Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the Queens Club Championship.
The 2021 US Open winner said she wasn’t very happy with the level she displayed in a 6-2 6-4 defeat to Zheng, and Raducanu said she needed to rest her back.
In a funny fight, Radkanu had some bright moments and after taking a medical timeout he secured a double break to double 3-0 in the second set, but was eventually overwhelmed by China’s world number five.
“I played five matches in a rather short time, and I’m probably feeling that, so I need to rest my back and see how I go from there,” Radkanu, who played in doubles with Katie Boulter, told the BBC after her defeat in London.
“I’m not overly concerned about (back issues) being serious, but I know it’s very annoying and requires proper and careful management.
“I’ve improved a lot and did a lot of good work behind the scenes, but there’s a lot to get to the next level. They were stronger than me and had more time training – I need to do the same thing. I need to raise my level.”
Nine of the top 10 female athletes will compete in Berlin, a grass court event that will be used to prepare for Wimbledon, which begins on June 30th.
Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
