Emma Raducanu latest player to pull out of Hong Kong Open, replaced by Sofia Kenin

Emma Raducanu has become the latest player to drop out of this month’s Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, just 24 hours after Naomi Osaka was forced to withdraw through injury.

Raducanu, who has been recovering from the foot injury that forced her to retire ahead of her Korea Open quarter-final against Daria Kasatkina a month ago, has already missed four tournaments on the WTA’s Asian swing; the China Open, and events in Wuhan, Ningbo and this week in Guangzhou.

Her spot at the Victoria Park Tennis Stadium event, which starts next Monday, has been filled by another grand slam winner, the Moscow-born American Sofia Kenin.

The 25-year-old, who is ranked 26th in the world, is playing in this week’s Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, where she will face Clara Tauson of Denmark in the round of 16 on Wednesday.

The Danish No 2, who lost in the final of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis 125 earlier this month to Ajla Tomljanovic, is also expected to return to Causeway Bay for the WTA 250 event.

Radacuna’s withdrawal is not all that surprising given her battles to stay fit ever since she beat Leylah Fernandez in her shock US Open triumph in 2021. Fans had hoped to see the pair renew their rivalry in Hong Kong, where Fernandez is defending champion.