Emma Raducanu slumps in her chair as she’s forced to RETIRE from Wuhan Open as players battle extreme heat in China that saw tournament suspended and Novak Djokovic vomit in ‘brutal’ conditions
Emma Raducanu was forced to retire during her Wuhan Open first-round clash with Ann Li after appearing to struggle with illness amid 32-degree temperatures in China.
The tournament – which will likely be the British No 1’s last stop on the Asian swing – has fallen victim to the brutal heat that has been punishing players in other parts of the country, with Dayana Yastremska retiring just hours into the start of the competition on Monday.
Wuhan was forced to suspend play on its outdoor courts due to extreme heat on day one, with Raducanu sharing an screenshot on her social media profiles implying that she had been struggling to practice in the humid conditions, where 34 degrees ‘feels like’ 37 degrees.
In Shanghai, where the men’s tour are playing their own Masters 1000 event, Novak Djokovic was the most prominent voice to openly discuss the issues with playing in the ‘brutal conditions’ after he vomited a number of times during his match against Yannick Hanfmann.
World No 2 Jannik Sinner had retired on Sunday after being overcome with cramp, barely able to walk to his chair after seizing up.
But Raducanu’s unexpected exit at such an early stage in the competition will come as a mammoth disappointment to a player so keen on bolstering her ranking ahead of next year’s Australian Open.
Emma Raducanu had her blood pressure checked in worrying scenes at the Wuhan Open
The British No 1 appeared to be struggling to be competitive amid brutal climbing temperatures
The 22-year-old struggled from the off against Li – who she last defeated at Eastbourne this year – and lost the first set accordingly 6-1.
But Raducanu’s energy levels looked increadingly concerning heading into the second set as she struggled to make it a competitive match.
4-1 down in the second, Raducanu called for a medical timeout, and had her blood pressure checked on-court.
In worrying scenes, the former US Open champion was slumped in her chair during the process, and looked to be challenged by the conditions.
‘I do feel maybe she should have called for attention earlier in the match when it was clear that she wasn’t feeling herself,’ Jonathan Overend said on commentary for Sky Sports Tennis during the timeout.
‘I suppose you’re proud out there, you don’t want to give anything away to your opponent, you don’t want to let anyone know that you’re not feeling great but the bottom line is health has to be the utmost priority.’
After her checks, Raducanu retired, shaking hands with Li and the umpire before heading off court. She has not yet spoken publicly on her reason for retiring.
With the end of her brief travails in Wuhan, Raducanu calls time on what she may few as a somewhat underwhelming Asian swing.
Raducanu had previously highlighted the cloying conditions on Monday on social media
Raducanu had held her opening game but then plunged into a downward spiral on Tuesday
The 22-year-old was eventually forced to retire at 6-1, 4-1 down in disappointing scenes
Raducanu had been using the Asian swing to firm up her budding relationship with new coach Francisco Roig
The Briton opted to feature in the Korea Open – which had been her last event the previous year – instead of joining up with her Billie Jean King Cup team-mates in Shenzen, in a late move which shocked captain Anne Keothavong.
But with ranking points to defend and a view to firming up her budding relationship with new coach Francisco Roig, Raducanu was keen to stick to tour events and try and boost her spot in the standings.
A cagey meeting with Barbora Krejcikova in the second round however put paid to that possibility, with Raducanu knocked out in three sets after having failed to convert match point in any of her three opportunities in the second.
Eerily, Raducanu was defeated in almost exactly the same manner a week later in Beijing, where her hopes of making a deep run at the China Open were brought to a halt by Jessica Pegula.
Raducanu is a fluent Mandarin speak and her Chinese mother Renee has been travelling with her during a spell on the tour in which she will have desperately hoped to play her best tennis in front of scores of fans.
The player had looked forward to playing in China, where her mother is from, during this period on the tour
But Raducanu will now have to decide whether she plans to end her season and recharge
But Raducanu will now be forced to decide whether to continue in China at the upcoming WTA 500 event in Ningbo, or call time on her 2025 season.
Australian No 1 Daria Kasatkina became the latest player to wrap up her year early this week, sharing a poignant message with her fans that stressed her desire to listen to her body and focus on her mental health.
World No 13 Elina Svitolina had shared a similar message at the end of September, with a number of players preferring a break to recharge ahead of the preparation for the 2026 Australian Open.
Regardless of her tour plans, Raducanu will continue playing into December, when she will feature in two exhibition matches against long-time friend Amanda Anisimova in New Jersey and Miami.
