More Raducanu woe with injury withdrawal

Emma Raducanu has pulled out of the WTA tournament in Monterrey next week and could even be a doubt for the showpiece Indian Wells event.

The US Open champion suffered a minor injury to her left leg during a gruelling first-round defeat against Australian Daria Saville in Guadalajara earlier this week.

She had to retire with the problem during the third set, having already played for more than three hours, and she will now miss next week's event in the US.

The bigger concern, though, is whether Raducanu will be fit for Indian Wells starting on March 9, one of the biggest tournaments outside the grand slams.

That will depend on how her recovery goes over the next week. As a seed, the 19-year-old Briton would receive a first-round bye and would not play her first match until March 11 or 12.

It is another physical setback for Raducanu, who has been unable to find any momentum since her stunning US Open triumph.

Her pre-season training in December was disrupted by a bout of COVID-19 and she then struggled with a blister on her hand at the Australian Open.

She prioritised a block of training following the tournament in Melbourne before returning this week only to fail to complete a match.

Raducanu's junior career was affected by a number of injuries and she will hope these issues are not a sign of things to come as she seeks to establish herself on the main tour.