The back injury that prompted Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal from the Miami Open is “nothing serious”, according to her representatives.
The 21-year-old, who was given a wild card for the prestigious WTA tournament, was set to play China’s Wang Xiyu in the first round on Tuesday.
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However, pain in her lower back caused Raducanu to pull out, with the Kent star unwilling to take any risks.
It is another blow for Raducanu, ranked down at 288, in her attempts to establish herself as a consistent presence on the WTA Tour.
The former US Open champion was sidelined from May until the end of last season after undergoing surgery on both wrists and one ankle, the latest in a long line of injury problems since winning at Flushing Meadows in 2021.
She made her return at the start of this year and showed promising signs by making the third round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells last week before losing to Aryna Sabalenka.
Raducanu’s withdrawal in Miami casts possible doubt over her availability for Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup tie with France on April 12-13.
