Emma Raducanu, the 22-year-old British No. 1 and former US Open champion, has withdrawn from the Berlin Ladies Open, a WTA 500 grass-court event starting June 16, 2025, due to persistent back issues, dealing a significant blow to her Wimbledon preparations, per Manchester Evening News. The decision, announced on June 14, follows her quarter-final loss to Qinwen Zheng at the Queen’s Club Championships on June 13, where she required a medical timeout for back spasms and took painkillers, per Sportskeeda. Raducanu, ranked world No. 37, expressed uncertainty about her Wimbledon fitness post-match, stating, “I don’t know… I need to take good care of it,” per Manchester Evening News.
The back injury, which flared up at the Australian Open in January and Strasbourg Open in May, forced Raducanu to prioritize recovery over Berlin, though her team remains optimistic about her competing at the WTA 250 event in Eastbourne starting June 23, a week before Wimbledon (June 30-July 13), per Express. To secure a Wimbledon seeding, Raducanu needed to reach the Queen’s final or make significant progress in Berlin to break into the top 32 by June 23, a goal now out of reach, per Manchester Evening News. She acknowledged a shift in priorities, saying, “My goals have slightly shifted from being seeded to improving my game,” per Daily Mail.
Raducanu’s Queen’s run, including wins over Cristina Bucsa and Rebecca Sramkova, showcased her grass-court form, but the physical toll of five matches in five days, including doubles, highlighted her vulnerability, per BBC Sport. X posts, like @DExpress_Sport and @SunSport, emphasized the timing of her withdrawal, just 17 days before Wimbledon, with @Rob_Maul noting her ongoing need to manage injuries, per. Despite the setback, Raducanu’s team and fans remain hopeful for Eastbourne and Wimbledon, where she aims to build on her 2024 fourth-round run, per Sky Sports.
