It's been a tough start to the 2023 tennis season for British rising star Emma Raducanu as she withdrew from yet another event.
After withdrawing from last week's ATX Open due to tonsillitis, the 20-year-old has now pulled out of Tuesday's Eisenhower Cup, throwing her participation in the upcoming 2023 Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open into doubt.
Raducanu had planned to team up with fellow countryman Cameron Norrie for the Tie Break Tens tournament taking place on the eve of Indian Wells. However, with less than eight hours remaining before the start of the event, the 77th-ranked player in the world withdrew from the tournament, and Paula Badosa took her place on the entry list.
This latest setback will no doubt be a concern for Raducanu and her team, as she looks to build on a breakthrough 2021 season that saw her win the US Open and break into the Top 10 on the WTA Tour. Indian Wells is a crucial tournament in the WTA calendar, and Raducanu will be eager to compete there, but with another possible injury, her chances of doing well decreased dramatically.
Her withdrawal from the Eisenhower Cup suggests that her tonsillitis may still be affecting her, and it will be a race against time for her to recover before the first round of the tournament begins. In the first round of the 2023 Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open, the Brit is set to take on Danka Kovinic, with the 20th-seeded Magda Linette awaiting in the next round of the draw.
Statement from the tournament reads:
"Emma Raducanu is out of tonight's Eisenhower Cup. Paula Badosa will team up with Cam Norrie, creating a 2021 champions reunion."