Emma Raducanu called for a medical timeout during her first-round match at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Monday, prompting a doctor to check her blood pressure on court.
Recent Health Struggles
Raducanu recently faced fitness issues en route to the Transylvania Open final earlier this month. She retired in the third set of her Qatar Open opener last week against Camila Osorio in Doha, shortly after a visit from the tournament doctor. Officials later confirmed she suffered from a chest infection.
Match Against Antonia Ruzic
In Dubai, Raducanu appeared unwell before the second set against Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic, a late replacement for injured Elisabetta Cocciaretto. Ruzic claimed the first set 6-1. During the break, medical staff measured Raducanu’s blood pressure and provided tablets.
Raducanu resumed play, recovered from an early break, won the second set via tiebreak, and pushed the match to a third set.
Build-Up from Transylvania Success
Opting for the Middle East swing, Raducanu aimed to capitalize on her Transylvania Open run—her first final since the 2021 US Open title. There, she overcame a shoulder injury in a grueling semifinal against Oleksandra Oliynykova before losing the final to Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-2.
Raducanu stated after the final, “I’ve already been battling a bit of a chest infection, but that [semi-final] match took it out of me extra. So today, I was pretty gassed from the start. But I would much rather have this situation than have lost that match and not played today and be part of the final.”
Current Circumstances
The 23-year-old Briton currently lacks a full-time coach following her split from Francisco Roig after an early Australian Open exit in January.
This marks her Dubai return since last year’s stalker incident, where she spotted a man exhibiting fixated behavior during her second-round match. The individual had approached her earlier with a letter, leaving her in tears. Raducanu noted in December that she has “gotten over it” and no longer feels like she is hiding.
