US Open champion Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from this week’s Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi after testing positive for Covid-19.
Organisers of the event confirmed the news on Monday evening, with the search now on for a replacement to take on Olympic champion Belinda Bencic on Thursday - the tournament's opening day.
Raducanu, who was set to debut in Abu Dhabi, said in the statement: “After testing positive for Covid-19, I will have to postpone until the next opportunity to play in front of the fans here, which I was very much looking forward to. I’m isolating as per rules and hopefully will be able to get back on court soon.”
In the same statement, organisers added: “Emma is now isolating and following all necessary protocols. We wish her a quick recovery and hope to see her back on the court soon. We are looking at alternative top female competitors to go head-to-head with Belinda Bencic; further updates will be provided in due course.”
Raducanu, 19, was scheduled to face fellow debutant Bencic in a match to close out Day 1 of the three-day event, which concludes on Saturday. The Brit rose to prominence earlier this year, first by reaching the second week at Wimbledon as a wild card.
In September, Raducanu won the US Open to become the first qualifier to capture a Grand Slam in the open era, defeating Bencic in the quarter-finals. Bencic, meanwhile, took home the women’s singles gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer.
The Mubadala World Tennis Championship, now in its 13th edition, was to feature eight of the world’s most prominent players – six male and two female. Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray are two of the stars competing this week at the International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City.
