The Asian Swing has been a struggle for British star Emma Raducanu, with China’s sweltering conditions taking a clear toll. Just days after retiring from her first-round match in Wuhan, the former US Open champion underwent another health check at the Ningbo Open.
Raducanu, who faced China’s Zhu Lin in the first round of the Ningbo Open, even needed a medical timeout later in the match for extensive lower back treatment. The update has sparked concern among fans, who are urging her to take time off and rest.
How Did the Fans React to Emma Raducanu’s Ningbo Open Health Scare?
The Brit started strong, taking the first set 3-6 and appearing in control. However, the challenging conditions in Ningbo, with 89 percent humidity, began to weigh heavily on her. Midway through the second set, she required a physio and a doctor to check her vitals during a crossover.
The second set remained tense early on, but Raducanu’s momentum slipped, and she eventually dropped it 4-6. Despite appearing drained, the 2021 US Open champion battled on in the decider, but three games in, she took a medical timeout for lower-back treatment. Zhu seized the opportunity as the match progressed and won the final set 6-1 to reach the next round.
The recent health scare in Ningbo has raised concerns for Raducanu, who faced a similar issue just days earlier in Wuhan and was forced to retire. Many fans reacted to the update, supporting the Briton during this challenging period.
“I understand that she is going to these tournaments to increase her ranking… its working but she is not okay her body is giving signals and we don’t want another hiatus again because of this. this imagine hurts. she needs to rest,” one fan wrote.
i understand that she is going to these tournaments to increase her ranking… its working but she is not okay her body is giving signals and we don’t want another hiatus again because of this. this imagine hurts.
she needs to rest. pic.twitter.com/GxCjjjOnro
— ؘ (@rybakanu) October 14, 2025
Another fan urged Raducanu to prioritize her health, suggesting that she should have skipped the Ningbo Open.
“I don’t understand playing again after the issues she had last week. Yes it will affect her ranking but needs to look after her body especially when she’s had many operations on it,” they wrote.
“Aww poor Emma, well at least she played, even though she obviously wasn’t feeling great.
Other negative comments : please be kind,” another chimed in.
A fan defended Raducanu after her loss, bashing the critics for unfairly questioning her consistency, and emphasized that she has performed well all year until facing recent struggles.
“Ok. I did not realize so many Raducanu critics were going to crawl out today after Emma’s loss. Stop with the “can she go 2 matches without something going wrong with her?” She has. She has ALL year up until this point. She’s clearly going through it right now. Leave her alone,” they said.
Ok. I did not realize so many Raducanu critics were going to crawl out today after Emma’s loss. Stop with the “can she go 2 matches without something going wrong with her?” She has. She has ALL year up until this point. She’s clearly going through it right now. Leave her alone.
— donni (@federcanu) October 14, 2025
“Hope she recovers soon. Back-to-back health issues can be tough for any player,” one commented.
“Emma squandered some matches against top women. She needs a sports psychologist might help. She is close but got to get over line beat top women,” another suggested.
The result in Ningbo marked yet another early exit in an underwhelming Asian Swing for the Brit. She started with a second-round finish at the Korea Open, followed by third-round finish at the WTA 1000 event in Beijing, a first-round retirement in Wuhan, and now an early Ningbo exit.
