British title hope was knocked out in the R32.
Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu crashed out of the 2025 WTA Ningbo Open in China on Tuesday. The World No. 29 won the opening set, before falling to home favorite Lin Zhu 3-6 6-4 6-1 in the Round of 32. Having already retired at last week’s Wuhan Open, the British starlet suffered more physical setbacks at Ningbo.
It was a disappointing outing for Raducanu, who started the match very well. The 22-year-old has had a longstanding battle with injuries, and Tuesday was no different. She entered the tournament with a win-loss record of 28-21, and one semifinal + two quarterfinal appearances to her name. Yet, Raducanu will have to return empty-handed yet again, as Zhu produced a fine display to outlast the Briton.
Raducanu walked onto court in the absence of her head coach Francisco Roig – who is guiding her until the end of the 2025 season. The opening set was full of shifts in momentum and constant breaks of serve. However, Raducanu kept her cool when it mattered most and consolidated her 3-0 lead. As the match went on, Zhu opted to extend the rallies with defensive slices and neutral balls.
Noticing that her opponent was struggling, the Chinese sensation fed off the energy from her home crowd and took control of the encounter. She began attacking the Briton’s serve more often, and eventually forced a decider with some clean winners. In the third set, Raducanu made too many errors in the attempt to go for the kill.
Lin Zhu completed an exhausting three-set victory in 2 hours and 26 minutes. Raducanu managed to win just 51% points on first serve and 38% points on second serve. As a result, Zhu advanced and will face top seed Mirra Andreeva in the Round of 16.
Emma Raducanu suffered from physical concerns throughout her Round of 32 battle vs Zhu. After making a strong start, the 22-year-old began experiencing some serious issues in Set-2. Having traded early breaks with her opponent, Raducanu asked for the physio. She eventually had her blood pressure and vital signs checked, before being given something to eat and drink by the physio.
The 2025 campaign marks the first time Raducanu is completing 50 tour-level matches since her breakthrough 2021 season where she was triumphant at the US Open. Yet, the prodigious talent seemingly faded away in the third set. Attempting to hit a running forehand, Raducanu grabbed her lower back and needed to take a medical timeout to have it treated.
Emma Raducanu is scheduled to play two more tournaments this year – Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and Hong Kong Open.
(Image Credits: Mike Frey, Imagn Images)
