Emma Raducanu made it through to the second round of the Eastbourne Open with a battling 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1 win over American Ann Li, but there were worrying scenes at the end of the match.
Raducanu pulled out of last week’s WTA 500 tournament in Berlin with a recurring back spasm problem and she looked uncomfortable for most of her match against Li.
The trademark smile that Raducanu brandishes when she is winning tennis matches was absent, even as she stormed back into contention after losing an error-strewn opening set.
She also appeared to be flat as she struggled to get out of first gear in front of a muted Eastbourne crowd who looked and sounded a little confused by the lack of energy coming from the 2021 US Open champion.
Yet it was clear that she was struggling to compete physically and that made her ultimate victory all the more impressive.
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Raducanu could not hold back the tears the moment she won the last point of the match, as it became clear that she had overcome a lot of hurdles to secure this win.
“I want to thank the crowd for getting me through some really sticky moments,” Raducanu said in her on-court interview.
“It really meant a lot to me and I’m really proud of how I fought back after losing the first set.
“It was tough, it was up and down. But from the middle of the second set I think I found another gear and another level.”
While Raducanu’s relief and joy after winning this match was understandable, she has to be concerned about her back problem as her injury concerns continue to rise to the surface.
Even though she is now working with physio Matt Little, who was a key member of Andy Murray’s backroom team throughout his time at the top of the game, Raducanu does not appear to be able to get through long runs on the WTA Tour without breaking down physically.
This back injury appears to be a problem she has struggled to solve, with her comments prior to this match against Li confirming she has been battling to find a solution to the issue for some time.
“I’m still managing it to be honest,” said the British No 1 as she was asked about her back problem.
“I have good days and bad days. I trained a fair bit last week in London and it was good. I was getting a lot of treatment and then woke up pretty stiff at the weekend, took a day off and then trained yesterday and today.
“But it needs a lot of work and it is up and down. I’m just trying to manage it as best as I can.
“I’m doing everything: needles, soft tissue, some muscle stimulation stuff, taping, everything,’ she said. ‘It’s just ongoing.”
From the evidence of what we all witnessed in her opening match in Eastbourne, this problem will not be healed by the time she plays 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint in her next match.
The bigger concern must be Raducanu’s hopes of going on an extended run at Wimbledon, where she reached the last-16 a year ago.
She does not look ready to challenge for a place in the second week at the All England Club this year and as her injury worries continue, there have to be doubts over whether Raducanu’s body will allow her to sustain a career at the top end of the sport.
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