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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Jim van Wijk and Arthur Ferridge

Emma Raducanu retires ill from Qatar Open as fitness woes continue

More bad luck: Emma Raducanu - (Getty Images)

Emma Raducanu retired during the third set of her first-round match with qualifier Camila Osorio at the Qatar Open, having tried to play on after taking a medical time out.

The British No1 was looking to swiftly move on from the disappointment of losing in straight sets to home favourite Sorana Cirstea in the Transylvania Open final on Saturday, a match which she described as "very difficult, emotionally and physically."

Raducanu had made a positive start in Doha, building on an early break to go on and close out the first set 6-2 in 38 minutes.

However, world No80 Osorio - who last month won a WTA Challenger event in Manila - regrouped for the second set, as Raducanu struggled to find her range from the baseline.

Osorio's pressure soon told as she broke Raducanu then held to move ahead 4-2 before maintaining her momentum to take it 6-4 and level the match.

Raducanu was broken again at the start of the deciding set, not opting to chase a drop-shot to the net, and called for the physio.

After a lengthy conversation - and having her blood pressure checked - the 23-year-old went back on court, but then swiftly lost the second game to love and walked back to the net to shake Osorio's hand and retire.

It has been a tumultuous start to 2026 for Raducanu, who was dumped out of the Australian Open by Anastasia Potapova in the second round and later parted company with her coach, Francisco Roig.

She called time on her 2025 campaign early due to persistent health and fitness problems related to a lower-back injury, withdrawing from the Tokyo and Hong Kong Opens.

She is not currently listed as an entrant for next week’s Dubai Championships, and it remains to be seen when she will return to the court.

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