British number one Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her first-round match at the Wuhan Open after suffering from dizziness in sweltering conditions.
Raducanu, ranked world number 30, looked visibly drained as she trailed American Ann Li 6-1 4-1 before calling for the trainer.
She had her blood pressure and temperature checked before deciding to withdraw from the match.
According to the WTA, the 21-year-old retired due to dizziness brought on by the heat and humidity, with temperatures reaching 34°C.
Play on all outdoor courts was later suspended because of the extreme conditions.
Raducanu later shared a screenshot showing the high temperature on her phone.
Her retirement comes amid growing concerns over player welfare in Asia’s late-season tournaments, following Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal with cramp at the Shanghai Masters and Novak Djokovic’s vomiting episode during his win over Yannick Hanfmann.
A strong showing in Wuhan would have improved Raducanu’s chances of earning a seeding for January’s Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of 2025.
