Emma Raducanu raised concerns with worrying comments before retiring from her doubles match at the Citi DC Open, highlighting the physical toll of her intense schedule. The 22-year-old British star, who had advanced to the singles semi-finals with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Maria Sakkari on July 25, 2025, partnered with Elena Rybakina in the doubles semi-final against Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai. However, the pair retired after just 25 minutes, trailing 4-1 in the first set, after Raducanu admitted she was struggling. In her post-match press conference following the Sakkari win, she revealed, “I’m not feeling the best right now, so I just need to go and speak to the doctors,” noting the extreme heat—where she earlier “felt like head was in an oven”—and fatigue had taken a toll.
The decision to retire came nearly seven hours after her grueling singles match, played under 36-degree Celsius heat with high humidity, which required a medical timeout for vitals checks. Raducanu explained the conditions pushed her to a point where “you’re so tired that you don’t really know what you’re doing anymore,” suggesting mental resilience had carried her through the earlier match. Her doubles withdrawal, alongside Rybakina—who also played a singles quarter-final—reflects the challenge of balancing both draws, especially given the late start and heat. Raducanu’s comments have sparked fitness concerns, particularly as she prepares for her singles semi-final against Anna Kalinskaya on Saturday, July 26, 2025, and her upcoming US Open mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, raising questions about her physical endurance at 11:38 AM WAT.
