Emma Raducanu shares a deep connection with China. It’s her mother’s homeland, and her grandmother still lives there. So, it’s no surprise she feels at home whenever she plays on Chinese soil. But things took a tough turn for her on Center Court in Wuhan against Ann Li on Tuesday. Battling the sweltering heat, Raducanu was clearly struggling.

Down a set and trailing 4-1 in the second, she was attended to by a WTA physio and the tournament doctor before making the difficult decision to retire due to dizziness. Now, three days later, the 2021 U.S. Open champion has finally opened up about what happened.

Taking to her Threads account, Raducanu wrote, “Last day at the doctor’s in Wuhan… feeling better now, shame I couldn’t continue there but thank you for the messages.”

Along with the message was a picture of the 22-year-old, casually sitting on a hospital bed, her legs crossed, leaning back against the window frame with her head resting on one hand. Dressed in a navy-blue hoodie, hair partly tucked under the hood, and a pair of dark sunglasses shielding her eyes, she looked stylish. However, the sterile hospital setting, the sink, white walls, and harsh lighting hinted at the reality.

Raducanu’s misfortunes in Wuhan were compounded by the extreme conditions on court. Temperatures soared to 31°C with 67% humidity, leaving the Briton visibly drained and struggling to maintain her usual sharpness. Her opening set unraveled quickly, with a flurry of unforced errors from her forehand and inconsistent serving, while Li took full advantage of every short ball. She stayed composed under the oppressive heat.

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Even as Li’s intensity dipped slightly in the second set, Raducanu’s body and rhythm showed clear signs of strain; double faults piled up, her movement slowed, and each point became increasingly taxing. By the time she requested medical attention, the decision to retire with dizziness felt inevitable. But what made Wuhan particularly bitter was that this was not an isolated struggle.

Raducanu has long spoken about feeling at home in Asia, but history tells a different tale. In 2024, Raducanu reached the quarter-finals after defeating Yuan Yue in straight sets in Korea. But then, she retired due to a foot injury while trailing 6-1 against top seed Daria Kasatkina.

Her first full Asian swing in 2025 has been a punishing one, too. In Seoul at the Korea Open, she came agonizingly close to defeating Barbora Krejcikova in the second round, holding three match points before ultimately falling 4-6 7-6 (12-10) 6-1. At the China Open in Beijing, she advanced past Cristina Bucsa but lost a tightly contested third-round clash with Jessica Pegula, again after holding match points, finishing 6-3 6-7 (9-11) 0-6. Then came Wuhan, where she retired mid-match against Ann Li due to dizziness.

No wonder Raducanu has made a new addition to her team. Daniel Pohl, the renowned German physio and fitness trainer, joined her player box alongside coach Francisco Roig. Pohl is helping her manage the physical demands of the sport. After all, she had been traveling without a dedicated fitness trainer since April.

But as her recovery takes its course, Raducanu has dropped a hint that perhaps her proudest achievement may not even belong to the tennis court. Maybe, just maybe, it lies in her resilience; the quiet art of standing back up every time the game knocks her down.

Emma Raducanu says her proudest achievement lies beyond tennis

Emma Raducanu’s 2021 US Open triumph wasn’t just a win; it was a moment that shook the sporting world. That night in New York, when a teenager conquered the impossible, she didn’t just lift a trophy; she lifted the spirit of a generation. Four years later, the echoes of that victory still resonate, inspiring countless young girls to pick up a racket and chase their own dreams.

Across the world, and especially in Britain, Raducanu’s influence still runs deep. Many young players proudly name her as their idol, the reason they first stepped onto a court. Speaking at the Wuhan Open, Raducanu smiled as she reflected on that lasting impact. “It’s funny to think that I have had that impact,” she said. “It’s really nice to be reminded, you know, that you’re inspiring younger kids to play. And it’s very easy to lose sight of that kind of thing because you get so absorbed in your own world.

“But that is a really big achievement for me (inspiring young kids) and it’s why I want to keep a really good example on the court, a good demeanour.”

Those words painted a portrait of a young woman aware of her power, yet grounded in purpose. Following a shocking third-round exit at the US Open, Raducanu now seeks redemption. With new head coach Francisco Roig by her side, her 2025 season promises a new chapter.