Emma Raducanu’s health issues continued as she fell to another listless defeat in the Middle East.
A week after having her blood pressure taken and retiring from her opening match in Qatar, the doctor was back on court as the British No 1 lost the final six games of the match against lucky loser Antonia Ruzic in Dubai.
Daily Mail Sport understands the issue is a continuance of the chest infection which has bothered Raducanu since the final of the Transylvanian Open 10 days ago.
She has been feeling much better recently but the coughing returned in the opening stages against Ruzic and led to the chest pain which the doctor was summoned to treat. He took Raducanu’s pulse and gave her some pills, and the 23-year-old completed the match but collapsed from 2-0 up in the final set to lose 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.
That follows her retirement in the third set of her first-round match in Qatar against Camila Osorio and, though the virus offers mitigation, this dispiriting Middle Eastern swing continues Raducanu’s habit of struggling when matches go deep.
She has a 38 per cent win rate in deciding sets at tour level and has lost eight of her last nine. Robustness for the rigours of the tour still eludes her.
It was perhaps in an attempt to build up some match toughness that Raducanu decided against taking a break after that final in Romania.
The obvious move was to have a week off, but she ploughed on — without success.
She will hope to be in better health for the Sunshine Double of Indian Wells (beginning on March 4) and Miami (March 17).
Emma Raducanu required a medical timeout in her opening match of the Dubai Championships
Raducanu had her blood pressure taken after losing the opening set 6-1 to Antonia Ruzic
Raducanu was ultimately able to continue against Ruzic after treatment and battled back from a break down to win the second set on a tie-break and force the contest into a decider.
She appeared to have maintained the momentum by taking a 2-0 lead in the decider. However, Ruzic stormed back to win six consecutive games.
Having opted to play the Middle East swing, Raducanu has been looking to build on her performances in Romania, her father Ion’s homeland, where she reached the final.
It was the final final Raducanu had reached since famously winning the US Open back in 2021.
Raducanu had shown promising signs in Romania and battled through a shoulder injury and lengthy semi-final against Oleksandra Oliynykova.
She eventually was beaten in the final by Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-2, with Raducanu later disclosing that she had been battling a chest infection.
Raducanu, who recently suffered from a chest infection, battled back to force the match into a decider
Despite taking a 2-0 lead in the decider, Raducanu lost six consecutive games to go down 6-1, 6-7, 6-2
‘I’ve already been battling a bit of a chest infection, but that [semi-final] match took it out of me extra,’ Raducanu told the BBC after that final.
‘So today, I was pretty gassed from the start. But I would much rather have this situation than have lost that match and not played today and be part of the final.’
Raducanu is currently without a full-time coach, after parting ways with Francisco Roig following her early exit at the Australian Open in January.
The 23-year-old is participating in Dubai for the first time since her terrifying stalker ordeal at the tournament.
Last year, Raducanu had spotted a man who had previously ‘exhibited fixated behaviour’ during her second round match.
She had been left in tears after recognising the man, who had approached her days earlier and handed over a letter.
Speaking to Daily Mail Sport in December, Raducanu stated that she had ‘gotten over it’ and no longer feels as though she is hiding.
