On June 23, 2025, Emma Raducanu, British No. 1, revealed her efforts to overcome her “biggest phobia” of needles to address persistent back spasms threatening her Wimbledon preparations, per Express. The 22-year-old, ranked world No. 37, has been plagued by back issues since a spasm during her second-round loss to Danielle Collins at the Strasbourg Open in May, which carried into her French Open campaign, per ESPN. Raducanu, who reached the second round at Roland Garros, admitted her back is “not 100%” and linked the issue to clay courts, noting, “In 2024 and 2022 when I played on clay, I had back issues,” due to higher bounces and longer rallies, per Tennis365.
To manage the injury, Raducanu has embraced acupuncture and dry needling, despite her fear, saying, “At the start of the year, I was so scared of needles. It was my biggest phobia. That was the only way I was going to play Australia,” per GB News. She’s also using heat therapy, muscle stimulation, and taping, as shared in a statement: “I’m doing everything, needles, soft tissue, some muscle stimulation stuff, taping, everything,” per @yasminstefsyed. Her proactive approach, including limited grass-court practice before Queen’s Club, reflects lessons learned from past injuries, like wrist surgeries in 2023 after playing through pain, per ESPN. Raducanu’s resilience, bolstered by security measures following a stalking incident in Dubai, positions her for Eastbourne and Wimbledon, starting June 30, per BBC Sport.
