British No. 1 stops playing while trailing 6-1, 4-1 against American opponent, appearing to struggle with hot and humid court conditions.
Emma Raducanu retired from her first-round match at the Wuhan Open while trailing Ann Li, appearing to struggle with the hot and humid conditions in China. The British No. 1 stopped playing after falling behind 6-1, 4-1 following a medical timeout.
The 2021 U.S. Open champion looked visibly uncomfortable throughout the match, appearing almost dizzy at points during the second set. Her decision to retire adds to a growing list of players withdrawing from tournaments during the recent Asia swing.
Li will advance to face Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in the next round after the abbreviated contest. The American acknowledged the difficult circumstances, wishing her opponent a fast recovery and noting she didn’t appear to be feeling well during the match.
Match slips away quickly
Raducanu started promisingly by breaking Li in the opening game, suggesting she might be competitive despite the challenging conditions. However, that early advantage evaporated rapidly as Li won the next six consecutive games to claim the first set in just 28 minutes.
Li overpowered the British player with consistent ball-striking while her opponent increasingly made unforced errors. The physical issues became more apparent as the match progressed, with the Brit clearly not operating at full capacity.
The second set brought more difficulties as four double faults at the start signaled deepening problems. At one point she bent down, appearing to signal she might stop, but somehow managed to hold serve despite the obvious discomfort.
Retirement becomes inevitable
The match continued slipping away as Li won four consecutive games in the second set. At that point, trailing significantly in both score and physical condition, medical intervention became necessary. After a brief check-up with the trainer, the handshake came, ending the match prematurely.
The retirement represents another setback in what has been a challenging season managing fitness and form. Physical issues have interrupted the British player’s attempt to build momentum and climb back toward the rankings heights she briefly occupied after her stunning Grand Slam breakthrough.
Asia swing creates scheduling concerns
The retirement adds to growing concerns about the tennis calendar during the Asia swing. Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek recently criticized the schedule as overwhelming, highlighting the physical toll on players competing across multiple continents in compressed timeframes.
Multiple players have either retired mid-match or withdrawn from tournaments in recent weeks during this stretch of the season. The combination of travel, climate adjustments, and back-to-back tournament commitments creates challenging conditions for maintaining peak physical condition.
Earlier Tuesday, Naomi Osaka defeated Leylah Fernandez 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in another first-round match. Amanda Anisimova withdrew from the tournament due to a calf injury following her China Open championship on Sunday, providing another example of the physical demands facing players during this portion of the calendar.
Recovery and schedule ahead
The British No. 1 now faces decisions about her schedule for the remainder of the Asian swing and the indoor season that follows. Managing fitness while maintaining competitive sharpness requires careful planning about which tournaments to enter and where rest becomes necessary.
Her team will likely assess the specific issues that led to Tuesday’s retirement before determining how much time away from competition is required. The compressed tennis calendar leaves limited recovery windows, forcing players to balance competitive opportunities against physical readiness.
The incident highlights ongoing debates about tennis scheduling and the physical demands placed on players, particularly during intensive stretches like the Asia swing where travel, climate changes, and tournament commitments combine to create challenging conditions.
For Li, the abbreviated victory provides passage to the second round despite the unsatisfying conclusion. The American will hope to build on her strong performance in the portions of the match that were completed, though the retirement prevented her from finishing what she started on court.
