Emma Raducanu suffered a first round exit from the Wuhan Open after retiring with illness against Ann Li.
Raducanu had been praised for her recent improvements, enabling her to climb back into the top 30 of the WTA rankings.
The Briton was looking to bounce back from recent disappointments, with Raducanu reacting to losing after having match points against Jessica Pegula.
However, things did not seem right from the start of her first round match in Wuhan, where Raducanu had to retire with illness against Li.
Emma Raducanu has suffered a first round loss for the first time since Indian Wells
Raducanu may not have been winning titles and reaching finals on her climb up the WTA rankings this year, but she has been producing steady, consistent results.
After losing in the first round of Indian Wells to Moyuka Uchijima in March, Raducanu has produced a streak that not even Aryna Sabalenka can match.
This has come after Raducanu has won at least one match at every single one of her last 14 tournaments.
Including in this run is Raducanu reaching the quarterfinals of the Miami Open and the semifinals of the Washington Open, as well as coming from a set down against Li in Eastbourne.
However, after struggling in the humid conditions in Wuhan, Raducanu was unable to do this again and was forced to retire against Li after being checked on court by a doctor, suggesting that she had visibility issues.
This means that Raducanu’s seven-month streak has now come to an end, and she will gain no ranking points from the Wuhan Open.
It is also the first time that Raducanu has been forced to retire from a match since the Korea Open last year, where she suffered a foot injury.
| Tournament | Emma Raducanu’s Result |
| Miami Open | Quarterfinals (4-1) |
| Madrid Open | Second Round (1-1) |
| Italian Open | Fourth Round (3-1) |
| Strasbourg Open | Second Round (1-1) |
| Roland Garros | Second Round (1-1) |
| Queen’s Club Championships | Quarterfinals (2-1) |
| Eastbourne International | Second Round (1-1) |
| Wimbledon | Third Round (2-1) |
| Washington Open | Semifinals (3-1) |
| Canadian Open | Third Round (2-1) |
| Cincinnati Open | Second Round (1-1) |
| US Open | Third Round (2-1) |
| Korea Open | Second Round (1-1) |
| China Open | Third Round (1-1) |
What will Emma Raducanu do after retiring at the Wuhan Open?
With it being the latter stages of the 2025 season, many players are struggling with physical ailments, particularly due to the heat in China, which has even caused Jannik Sinner to retire.
However, Raducanu is still entered into three more tournaments this year and now has a big decision to make.
With it being illness that prevented Raducanu from completing her match against Li, it seems likely that she will be able to recover by the end of the season, but it may mean that she needs to withdraw from at least one of her upcoming tournaments.
Raducanu was praised for entering the Hong Kong Open, with the WTA 250 event set to be her final tournament of the 2025 season.
This will follow WTA 500 events in Ningbo and Tokyo, both tournaments for which Raducanu has received wildcards.
However, with Raducanu now in a good position to be seeded for the Australian Open next year, she may decide to call it a day and prepare for the 2026 season.
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