(Miami) Briton Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami due to a back injury, Florida organizers announced on Tuesday.
This is a new disappointment for the 21-year-old player, currently 288e World Cup, who spent eight months without playing due to wrist and ankle problems last year, for which she required surgery.
Returning to competition in January, she managed to reach the third round in Indian Wells last week before being knocked out by world number two Aryna Sabalenka.
The young winner of the 2021 US Open, who had a bye in Miami, was scheduled to face Wang Xiyu in the first round on Tuesday. The Chinese will finally face Slovak qualifier Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Tuesday also saw Romania’s Simona Halep return to competition after her four-year doping ban was reduced to nine months and the Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared her to play again immediately.
Halep, who also received an invitation, will face Spaniard Paula Badosa while Venus Williams will face Russian Diana Shnaider in the first round.