Emma Raducanu says her recent injuries are all connected with her inexperience of playing on the WTA Tour. 

The Brit has suffered multiple “niggles” so far this season, including blisters at the Australian Open and a left hip strain in Guadalajara. 

Last week, the US Open champion experienced back problems in Madrid. Raducanu made it through to the third round but lost to Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina in three sets. 

Ahead of this week’s Italian Open, Raducanu opened up on her physical issues so far this year and stressed that she is “managing” her back problem well. 

Raducanu says her back is “fine”

Speaking to reporters, Raducanu explained that her recent injuries were all connected to getting used to playing regularly. 

“I think it’s just coming from a lot of intensity and overload,” she stressed. “My back, I’m managing it. Like it’s fine. But it’s just trying to adapt again to the long matches, to the intensity. I think that all of the small niggles I’m getting are all related and connected to each other, when something is overcompensating perhaps. Yeah, we’ll see.”

Raducanu has arrived in Rome and completed a practice set with Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova. 

The Italian Open is a clay-court event, though Raducanu thinks the conditions are different to those she experienced in Madrid. 

“I think here is completely opposite,” she said. “It’s quite heavy and slow, so there’s going to be a lot longer points. It will be interesting to see what the differences are. But I can already feel them on the court tennis-wise.”

How is Raducanu faring so far this season? 

The Brit has had a mixed season so far and remains in search of her first title since winning in New York last September. 

Raducanu was knocked out in the second round of the Australian Open, and lost early on at the Miami Open and at Indian Wells. 

Since the clay court season started, however, Raducanu’s form has improved –– reaching the quarter-finals in Stuttgart and the third round in Madrid. 

Who will Raducanu play in Rome? 

Raducanu faces a tricky opening match against Canada’s Bianca Andreescu in Rome. 

Andreescu is a fellow US Open champion, having stormed to victory at Flushing Meadows in 2019. 

At one stage it appeared as though a blockbuster match against Naomi Osaka may be on the cards in round two, but the Japanese star has now withdrawn from the competition.