Emma Raducanu withdraws from the Italian Open in Rome because of continued difficulties with a post-viral illness, multiple outlets report. The 23-year-old, Britain’s number one, had already missed much of the tour after becoming ill in early spring and had pulled out of four successive tournaments, according to The Independent and other coverage. At the Foro Italico, Raducanu had been scheduled to play a second-round match after receiving a bye as a seeded player. However, she ends up withdrawing less than half an hour after taking part in pre-tournament media interviews and while plans for her opening contest were imminent.
Sky Sports, The Guardian, The Athletic and The Independent describe her withdrawal as being linked to ongoing recovery. The Athletic reports that in the moments before her decision, she told reporters she had “really turned a corner” in her recovery. Following the latest withdrawal, The Independent says Raducanu focuses on returning through Strasbourg ahead of the French Open, framing the next step in her comeback as fitness-led rather than match-led. Her long absence is described as extending to more than two months.
