EMMA RADUCANU has pulled out of the German Open.
The Briton was due to enter the Berlin tennis tournament starting next Wednesday, June 18.
However, the 22-year-old has pulled out of the event as a precaution to rest her back ahead of Wimbledon.
On Friday, Raducanu was knocked out of Queen’s at the quarter-final stage in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 by Chinese No.1 seed Qinwen Zheng.
Raducanu, now ranked as the British No.1, revealed she has struggled with back pain since playing in Strasbourg in May, where she was eliminated in the last 16.
She said: “I have been struggling with my back since Strasbourg, and it’s just been something that’s been on and off.
“I have been managing it pretty well over the last few weeks, but I guess as the week goes on and I have played five matches now, even if two were doubles, I think it just tests it out.
“And I just felt it as the load goes up. They took me off court and taped it to give me some extra stability, and some painkillers.
“It has been lingering for the last few weeks and I have had back issues before. It’s just a vulnerability of mine. I know I need to take good care of it.”
The former US Open champion actually broke a little-known rule during her defeat to Zheng.
As her opponent took a long break in play to change her footwear, Raducanu was seen practising her serves.
However, in doing so she broke a rule, with players only allowed to practise serves before a match.
Despite Raducanu’s exit from Berlin, the tournament is still stacked full of high-ranking players.
Among them are World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and French Open champion Coco Gauff.
In fact, the only player missing from the top 10 women’s singles players in the world is five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, who is out due to discomfort in her shoulder.
However, Raducanu is expected to play at Eastbourne later this month.
Wimbledon will then begin on June 30.
She has not yet made it past the fourth round in SW19.
But Raducanu will have the chance to win a new and improved prize pot after the singles prize money for the winner increased to £3million.
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