Emma Raducanu's Australian Open preparations have taken another hit as she withdrew from her United Cup tie against Naomi Osaka on Monday, citing a minor foot issue. The British number one was struggling to be fully fit and did not want to risk making the situation worse ahead of the upcoming Grand Slam event in Melbourne.
Raducanu had been building up to the Australian Open with coach Francisco Roig but felt it was too early for her to return to competition, team captain Tim Henman explained after the GB's 2-1 win against Japan. The British number one has not played since October and was forced to pull out of two exhibition matches in the United States last month due to a similar issue.
Despite Raducanu's absence, Great Britain managed to secure a hard-fought victory over Japan, thanks to Billy Harris earning a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 win against Shintaro Mochizuki and Katie Swan beating Osaka in the women's singles. The team will now face Greece in their other Group E tie on Monday.
Raducanu has struggled for form and fitness since winning the US Open in 2021 but showed signs of improvement, completing 50 matches for the first time in her career last season. She is currently ranked 29th in the women's rankings.
Henman praised his team's spirit and work ethic, saying: "The spirit has been so good since we arrived in Perth." He also urged his players to enjoy the challenge and compete for every point.
Raducanu had been building up to the Australian Open with coach Francisco Roig but felt it was too early for her to return to competition, team captain Tim Henman explained after the GB's 2-1 win against Japan. The British number one has not played since October and was forced to pull out of two exhibition matches in the United States last month due to a similar issue.
Despite Raducanu's absence, Great Britain managed to secure a hard-fought victory over Japan, thanks to Billy Harris earning a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 win against Shintaro Mochizuki and Katie Swan beating Osaka in the women's singles. The team will now face Greece in their other Group E tie on Monday.
Raducanu has struggled for form and fitness since winning the US Open in 2021 but showed signs of improvement, completing 50 matches for the first time in her career last season. She is currently ranked 29th in the women's rankings.
Henman praised his team's spirit and work ethic, saying: "The spirit has been so good since we arrived in Perth." He also urged his players to enjoy the challenge and compete for every point.
She's been working hard to get back into shape but it seems like injuries are still a major setback for her 
. It's not easy being a top player in tennis, you're always pushing yourself to be better and sometimes your body just can't keep up 
. I hope she takes all the time she needs to recover because it's clear that rushing back could make things worse 
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They're like a little slice of British tennis heaven on the court 
. And I love how Tim Henman is keeping things positive, reminding his team to enjoy the challenge and compete with every point 
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So Emma Raducanu is out of her own tournament? That's a shame! I feel bad for her, she was gonna be one of the top contenders at the Aussie Open... But I guess it's better to play safe now than risk making the injury worse and being out for longer 
! Coach Francisco Roig has been with her since the beginning and I'm sure he's got her best interests at heart #TeamEmma.
! The guys are doing so well without her too - Billy Harris and Katie Swan were on fire! Can't wait to see them take on Greece next 
. Hope Emma recovers soon and brings home some major wins at the Australian Open 
#AustralianOpen #EmmaRaducanu
It's still surprising she was even selected for the United Cup after that lackluster US Open performance... 29th in the rankings, yeah that's where she is 
. We all know tennis can be brutal on your body, so maybe it's time for Raducanu to re-think her approach? 
- can't believe she was building up to Aus Open now 
Team GB still looks strong though, let's see them take down Greece on Mon 
But on the other hand, if she's not 100% fit, that could be even worse in Melbourne... ugh, decisions are so hard! 
she finally showed some signs of improvement after that US open win, but now it's all being ruined by a "minor" foot issue? come on! 
at least she's not the only one struggling with fitness... btw, 50 matches completed is kinda cute though 
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. She was really building up her skills too, it's a shame she can't get back on court now. I mean, 29th in the world rankings is still pretty decent, but she needs to sort out her fitness issues ASAP if she wants to make an impact at the Aussie Open. 
. And good on Tim Henman for keeping everyone positive and focused - gotta love his motivational skills 
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oh no emma raducanu withdrawing from united cup tie again 
but team GB still won 
minor foot issue happens. Anyways, great job by GB's team in beating Japan, that was some intense tennis