Emma Raducanu back injury "nothing serious", say representatives; Brit was knocked out of Indian Wells after being beaten 6-3 7-5 by Aryna Sabalenka in the third round; The Miami Open takes place from March 17-31 - watch live on Sky Sports
Tuesday 19 March 2024 14:27, UK
The back injury that prompted Emma Raducanu's withdrawal from the Miami Open is "nothing serious", according to her representatives.
The 21-year-old, who was given a wild card for the prestigious WTA tournament, was set to play China's Wang Xiyu in the first round on Tuesday, live on Sky Sports.
However, pain in her lower back caused Raducanu to pull out, with the Kent star unwilling to take any risks.
Raducanu was knocked out of Indian Wells after being beaten 6-3 7-5 by Aryna Sabalenka in the third round and she is still yet to win against a top-10 player on the WTA Tour.
Miami features a 96-player singles field with the top 32 seeds in singles receiving a first-round bye. The main draw begins on Tuesday - live on Sky Sports Tennis.
The former US Open champion went down fighting as she was beaten in straight sets by world No 2 Sabalenka having won consecutive matches for the first time since her run to the last 16 of the same tournament last year.
Raducanu has been working with her childhood coach Nick Cavaday following her return from an eight-month absence after surgery on both wrists and ankle.
The 21-year-old, ranked 250th in the world, was scheduled to return to action at the Miami Open after being given a wildcard to play at the 1000 combined tournament.
Raducanu was named in Great Britain's squad to face France in the qualifying round of the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup from April 12-13 but it is now uncertain whether she will participate.
Captain Anne Keothavong insisted she had a "full-strength team" with British No 1 Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart and Heather Watson all included.
The winner of the best-of-five tie will progress to the Billie Jean King Cup finals later this year, while the losing nation will compete in the play-offs.
The tie will be played on indoor clay in Le Portel, which is the same surface as the following week's tournament in Stuttgart, where Raducanu was likely to play as it is organised by Porsche, one of her sponsors, but her participation now remains uncertain.
Last year she lost in the first round while in 2022 she made the quarter-final.
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