Emma Raducanu reportedly flying back to London to assess back injury

Emma Raducanu is reportedly flying back to London to assess a back injury which forced her to withdraw from the Italian Open.

The US Open champion was losing 6-2, 2-1 when she decided to retire from her first-round clash against Bianca Andreescu.

She had called a medical time-out in the first set, but her back problem failed to go away in the second set, with Raducanu telling a physiotherapist: “I can’t move”.

Raducanu also struggled with a back injury at the Miami Open and Madrid Open, and she has reportedly decided to take action before Roland-Garros.

According to The Telegraph, the 19-year-old is flying home to London this week to determine the true extent of her injury.

It is claimed Raducanu does not think a scan is necessary, but she is willing to take the advice of her physiotherapists in London.

Raducanu has struggled to overcome a number of fitness issues since her improbable victory at the US Open in September.

Severe blistering on her right hand led to defeat in the second round of the Australian Open. She then retired from her first-round match at the Guadalajara Open with a hip injury, before struggling with her back at the Miami Open, Madrid Open and Italian Open.

Raducanu conceded after her loss against Andreescu that she needed to make better decisions about whether she was fit enough to play.

“I think the last few weeks have been really positive,” Raducanu said. “I’ve learned a lot about myself and my game has definitely improved on this surface.

“But for sure I need to make sure my back is fully right, however long that takes. I need to just keep on it.

“I don’t want to play my next match with a feeling of limitation because I think that I learned my lesson from this week, when to push, and when not to