Emma Raducanu suffers another setback after tennis star spotted with Benedict Cumberbatch
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from another tennis tournament as the 21-year-old continues her battle to recover from injury
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Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from another tennis tournament as the 21-year-old continues her battle to recover from injury.
The Briton, who soared into the spotlight when she won the US Open just three years ago, has been plagued by problems in the time since.
She was forced to withdraw from the Korea Open last month and, since then, has also pulled out of the Beijing Open and Wuhan Open.
Now, according to the BBC, Raducanu has withdrawn from next week's WTA tournament in Ningbo, China.
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from another tennis tournament as the 21-year-old continues her battle to recover from injury
GETTY
However, she's said to still be optimistic about playing again before the end of the year.
Raducanu is now targeting the Hong Kong Open, which is due to commence on October 28.
The news comes just hours after the tennis star was pictured with actor Benedict Cumberbatch at the Frieze Art Fair.
Cumberbatch was spotted in the background gesturing at something, while Raducanu smiled in delight.
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Emma Raducanu has been spotted with Benedict Cumberbatch at an event in London
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The event was held at Regents Park. Cumberbatch is believed to be a tennis fan, having attended Wimbledon matches in the past.
Raducanu has attracted criticism over the past 12 months amid her ongoing issues, with many unhappy at her schedule.
She opted to play just one hard-court match before the US Open in August, with the former champion then crashing out in the first round.
Raducanu said afterwards that the decision had been a 'collective call' between herself and members of her coaching team.
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She did, however, insist that she would learn from the experience.
“I feel down, like I feel sad. This is a tournament I really want to do well in," she said.
She then added: “I’m just going to go back to the drawing board and train and analyse where I went wrong and try and improve for the rest of the season.
“Obviously, the Slams are over for this year, but it’s not actually that long until Australia comes around again.
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"I would have preferred to probably play a little bit more before coming into the US Open.
“I know when I have a lot of matches, just like every player, you feel really good, you feel like everything’s automatic.
“I can learn from it. And, you know, manage my schedule slightly differently.
“It wasn’t just me. It was more of like a collective call and that’s what happened, and I can’t really change it.”
Emma Raducanu is focusing on regaining her fitness after recently pulling out of the Korea Open midway through a match
While Raducanu is preparing for her return to tennis, Cumberbatch currently has several projects in the works.
The actor will feature in The Phenician Scheme and The Roses, with both films due to release next year.