British tennis player Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the German Open.
The Briton was initially scheduled to participate in the Berlin grass-court tournament, set to begin next Wednesday, June 18.
However, the 22-year-old athlete has opted out of the event as a precautionary measure to allow her back to rest ahead of the upcoming Wimbledon Championships.
On Friday, Raducanu was defeated in the quarter-finals at Queen`s by Chinese top seed Qinwen Zheng in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.
Raducanu, currently ranked as the British No. 1, disclosed that she has been experiencing discomfort in her back since competing in Strasbourg in May, where she was eliminated in the last 16 round.
She commented, “I`ve been dealing with back issues since Strasbourg; it`s been intermittent.”
“I`ve managed it fairly well recently, but playing five matches this week, even including two doubles, really put it to the test.”
“As the workload increased, I felt it more. They taped it for stability and gave me painkillers.”
“It`s been bothering me for weeks, and I`ve had back problems previously. It`s a known vulnerability, and I know I must look after it,” she added.
The former US Open champion reportedly committed a minor, lesser-known rule violation during her match against Zheng.
While her opponent took a lengthy break to change footwear, Raducanu was seen practicing her serves.
This action, however, goes against the rule that permits players to practice serves only before the start of a match.
Despite Raducanu`s absence, the Berlin tournament still boasts a strong field of highly-ranked players.
Participants include World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and recent French Open champion Coco Gauff.
In fact, the only player from the women`s top 10 rankings missing from the event is five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, who is recovering from shoulder discomfort.
Raducanu is still expected to play at the Eastbourne tournament later this month.
Wimbledon is scheduled to commence shortly after on June 30.
She has yet to advance past the fourth round at the All England Club (SW19).
However, Raducanu will be competing for a significantly increased prize fund this year, as the singles winner`s prize money has been raised to £3 million.
