Raducanu was participating in just her second competition since her return.
Emma Raducanu fought bravely until she lost at the Australian Open, but she believes there was “no way” she was going to give up on her Grand Slam comeback.
After undergoing eight months of recovery from surgery on her ankle and wrist, Raducanu was participating in her fourth match.
“Everything I went through last year has made me so much tougher,” she stated.
I had no intention of pulling out. She had to defeat me, and she succeeded.”
Raducanu’s withdrawal occurred after Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen defeated Katie Boulter, the new British number one. The match took place on the same Kia Arena court.
In the third round, they were hoping to arrange a meeting between only British players, but the Chinese duo will now face off on Saturday.
There are no longer any British players competing in the women’s singles after Raducanu and Boulter’s losses.
The lone American player left in the singles draws is Cameron Norrie, who rallied from a two-set deficit to win in five sets earlier on Thursday.
Despite losing, Raducanu is showing promising indicators.
Any player returning from a lengthy absence must be patient with their progress since it takes time for them to regain match sharpness.
Raducanu requires even greater prudence, considering the extensive list of mental and physical challenges she has had since winning the US Open in 2021.
So, it was neither shocking—nor alarming—to witness Raducanu falter in the decisive set in a fierce match against Wang, ranked 94th.
Raducanu had her blood pressure tested by a doctor since it appeared that she would become ill early in the third set.
She had opportunities to rally in the decisive match, but Wang held strong.
Raducanu later allayed fears by stating that she believed it to be a gastrointestinal ailment.
“I felt quite sick, weak, and queasy all of a sudden. I believe everyone saw that the third set was a little bit of a struggle,” she remarked.
“My physical state was good. I was regurgitating more in my mouth. I’ll get over it; I’m fine now.
“It just sucks with the timing.”
