Medical staff had to rush to help Emma Raducanu as her health struggles continued during her opening match of the Ningbo Open.
The British player faced difficulties coping with temperatures compounded by humidity levels reaching 90 per cent whilst competing against Zhu Lin, currently positioned at 219 in the world rankings.
This marked her return to competitive action following an enforced withdrawal in Wuhan seven days earlier due to dizziness. On that occasion, the 22-year-old from Bromley had been unable to finish her contest.
In contrast to the previous week's circumstances, Raducanu managed to persist with play in Ningbo despite requiring medical evaluation and eventually succumbing to defeat. The challenging environmental conditions in China have proved problematic for numerous competitors throughout this portion of the tennis calendar.
Medical staff had to check on Emma Raducanu on the court
|TENNIS CHANNEL
Medical personnel hurried onto the court when the score reached 4-3 during the second set, immediately following Raducanu's successful break of serve. Both a physician and physiotherapist attended to the 29th-ranked player during this intervention.
The physiotherapist conducted assessments of vital signs, including monitoring her pulse and measuring blood pressure readings. Throughout the examination, the former US Open winner covered herself with a towel whilst the medical team performed their checks.
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Following the medical evaluation, play resumed with Raducanu maintaining her serve to level at 4-4. Nevertheless, she subsequently lost her service game whilst attempting to force a tiebreak, surrendering the second set after taking the opener 6-3.
The British tennis player then departed the court for an extended comfort break ahead of the deciding set.
That decider brought further physical challenges for Raducanu, who was observed bending forward repeatedly whilst holding her lower back area. These discomfort signals emerged during the early stages of the final set.
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Emma Raducanu was struggling with ongoing issues with her back
|SKY SPORTS
Additional medical assistance became necessary when Raducanu requested another stoppage specifically to address back-related issues. The trainer returned to court to provide treatment during this medical timeout but she ended up losing the crashing out of the competition.
Her physical difficulties mirrored those experienced in Wuhan the prior Tuesday, where medical staff had examined her pupils, heart rate, temperature and blood pressure during competition against Ann Li. However, on that occasion she had been forced to halt proceedings whilst behind 6-1 4-1.
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In a social media update on Saturday, Raducanu posted on Threads: "Last day at the doctor's in Wuhan feeling better now. Shame I couldn't continue there but thank you for the messages."
The extreme environmental conditions have affected numerous elite competitors across China's tournament circuit during this phase of the season. Magdalena Frech expressed her frustration, declaring: "It's no longer a tennis match, just a fight for survival!"
The Shanghai Masters witnessed Jannik Sinner withdrawing due to intense cramping issues. Holger Rune voiced concerns about player safety, questioning: "Do you want a player to die on court?"
Emma Raducanu had told fans on social media she was feeling better after seeing doctors following her Wuhan Open health scare
| THREADSEven Novak Djokovic experienced significant mobility limitations during portions of his unexpected semi-final loss to Valentin Vacherot. The Serbian star found himself struggling with movement at various points in the match.
These widespread difficulties underscore the severe physical demands placed upon players competing in China's challenging climate during this particular segment of the professional tennis schedule.