Italian Open: Emma Raducanu withdraws with post-viral illness shortly after media conference
Raducanu last played a match at Indian Wells on March 8 and has since missed the Miami Open and clay-court events in Linz and Madrid due to viral symptoms.
But the 23-year-old has been training at the National Tennis Center in London and the Ferrer Academy near Benidorm in recent weeks.
She was accompanied in Rome by her friend and former LTA national coach Jane O’Donoghue and physiotherapist Emma Stewart, who was perhaps with Raducanu during their interview.
“Going on clay courts is potentially much more physically demanding than on other courts, but I want to come back 100% ready,” Raducanu said. he said.
“I’m slowly building my way and I’m looking forward to getting out there.”
We now know that he will not appear in Rome this week.
Raducanu has one last chance to play in a WTA event before the French Open in Strasbourg or Rabat in two weeks.
However, if he misses the entire clay stroke, Raducanu will be sidelined for three months when the grass court season begins.
Even if Raducanu is eligible to compete at Roland Garros, which begins May 24, he will do so as an unseeded player.
The 2021 US Open champion is currently ranked 30th in the world but only 32 players are seeded and will now drop several places, no longer able to defend the points he earned in the fourth round in Rome last year.
