Emma Raducanu is hoping to return to action at the WTA event in Strasbourg later this month following her withdrawal from the Italian Open.
The British number one has been sidelined for two months due to a post-viral illness and opted against returning in Rome after travelling to Italy and practising at the Foro Italico.
The timing of Tuesday’s withdrawal was somewhat bizarre given Raducanu had just given an upbeat press conference to reporters, saying: “I think I’ve really turned a corner and I feel so much better. I feel great on the court.”
That prompted fears the 23-year-old may miss the French Open, which begins on May 24, but the Press Association understands Raducanu is targeting a comeback at the Internationaux de Strasbourg the preceding week.
She would need a wild card for the WTA 500 event but she will be hopeful of obtaining one having been given a late invitation to the tournament last year, beating Daria Kasatkina before losing to Danielle Collins in the second round.
Raducanu initially struggled with illness in early February but chose to carry on playing, losing early at two events in the Middle East and Indian Wells before stepping away from the tour.
She had pulled out of tournaments in Miami, Linz and Madrid prior to Tuesday’s announcement, leaving her very short of clay-court preparation leading up to the year’s second grand slam.
Intriguingly, Raducanu spent time a couple of weeks ago training in Spain with Andrew Richardson, the coach who guided her to the US Open title in 2021, but that appears to have been just a short-term arrangement.
In Rome she again had Jane O’Donoghue, the former coach she describes as like a big sister, by her side, with Raducanu apparently content to work without a full-time coach following her split from Francisco Roig after the Australian Open.
Speaking about her physical difficulties, Raducanu said: “Post-viral, it’s quite hard. You feel drained, you feel tired, no energy. It’s difficult, and it lingered for quite a while.
“Right now, I wouldn’t say I’m 100 per cent. I’m still building my way back. It is difficult to then kind of maintain it.
“Even if your tennis level is very high, it’s difficult to maintain for the full duration of the match, so I think it was good to come here and practise and see how I’m doing in points.”
By skipping Rome, where she reached the fourth round last year, Raducanu’s ranking will fall outside the top 32, meaning she will almost certainly not be seeded at Roland Garros.
