NINGBO — Britain's Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, suffered a physically taxing first-round exit at the Ningbo Open, succumbing in three sets to Chinese world number 219 Zhu Lin after requiring a medical timeout to have her blood pressure checked during the final set.
The highly anticipated return of the former Grand Slam winner to the WTA Tour following an eight-month hiatus for surgeries on both wrists and an ankle ended in a 3-6, 6-3, 4-6 defeat that was marred by visible physical distress. The match, which lasted two hours and 33 minutes, saw Raducanu's level dip dramatically in the deciding set as she struggled with her conditioning.
Speaking to the media after the match, Raducanu was candid about her physical state, stating, "I think it was a combination of things – from the heat to the physicality of the match. It was a long match, almost three hours. I think just getting used to playing on the tour again, it's going to take me some time to get used to the physicality of what it takes to be at that level."
A Promising Start Fades in Ningbo Heat
Raducanu began the match with the precision and aggression that catapulted her to fame in New York two years ago. She broke Zhu's serve early and comfortably sealed the first set 6-3, looking in control against an opponent who had won just one WTA main-draw match all season. Her groundstrokes were crisp, and she moved well, suggesting a successful rehabilitation from her triple-surgery layoff.
However, the momentum shifted decisively in the second set. Zhu Lin, leveraging the vocal support of the home crowd, elevated her game, finding more depth and consistency. Raducanu’s unforced error count began to climb, and her first-serve percentage dropped, allowing Zhu to break her serve and level the match at one set apiece, forcing a decider.
The Physical Toll and the Medical Intervention
The most concerning moments of the contest arrived early in the third set. After holding her opening service game, Raducanu appeared increasingly labored in her movement. At 1-1, she called for the tournament physio and doctor, who proceeded to take her blood pressure courtside—a rare and telling sight in a professional tennis match.
Following a lengthy medical timeout, Raducanu resumed play but was clearly compromised. Her ability to engage in long rallies was diminished, and she struggled to generate her earlier power. Despite a valiant effort to stay competitive, she was broken at 4-4, and Zhu served out the match to claim a significant victory on home soil.
Raducanu later explained the decision to have her blood pressure taken, saying, "I think I started the third set with a physical issue. I got a bit dizzy. I think it was a combination of everything. It was a long match, and I think my body is just getting used to it, and it was a bit shocked."
The Long Road Back to Full Fitness
This match underscored the significant challenge Raducanu faces in rebuilding not just her ranking, currently at 265, but also the robust physical conditioning required to compete at the highest level. Her eight-month absence from competition, spent largely in recovery and rehabilitation, has left a gap in match sharpness and endurance that cannot be closed overnight.
The physical demands of the WTA tour are immense, and Raducanu’s current situation highlights several key areas of focus for her and her team:
- Match Toughness: Re-acclimating to the intensity and duration of three-set battles.
- Conditioning: Building a base that can withstand back-to-back tournaments and travel.
- Patience: Managing expectations as she works through a necessary process of re-adaptation.
Her coach, Nick Cavaday, who was present in her player's box, will likely prioritize a carefully managed schedule, balancing competitive play with dedicated training blocks to fortify her physical resilience without risking re-injury to her recently operated wrists and ankle.
Context and What Lies Ahead for Raducanu
The defeat in Ningbo is a setback, but it is also a data point in a much larger comeback narrative. Raducanu has a protected ranking of 103, which she can use to enter main draws, and she is expected to compete in the WTA 1000 event in Beijing next. The focus, for now, remains on the process rather than immediate results.
In contrast, for Zhu Lin, the victory represents a monumental boost. While her ranking has slipped this year, she has proven she can compete with the biggest names on tour, having also defeated former world number one Venus Williams in Auckland earlier this season. Her performance demonstrated resilience and tactical discipline to capitalize on her opponent's physical decline.
The WTA tour's return to China after a prolonged hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unique challenges, including different environmental conditions and the pressure of performing in front of passionate home crowds for Chinese players, which Zhu handled adeptly.
A Test of Patience and Perseverance
For Emma Raducanu, the image of her having her blood pressure taken is a stark reminder of the physical and mental hurdles she must overcome. The journey back to the top of the game is rarely linear, and early-round losses, while disappointing, are an almost inevitable part of returning from a significant layoff.
The key takeaway from Ningbo is not the loss itself, but the evidence of her underlying tennis quality in the first set and her fighting spirit to continue despite clear physical distress. As she succinctly put it in her post-match press conference, "It's going to take time. It's a process. I'm just at the start of it."
The tennis world will be watching closely to see how she responds in her subsequent tournaments, with the hope that with time, consistent training, and match play, the physical issues that plagued her in Ningbo will become a distant memory in her long-term comeback story.