Raducanu sits out French Open to focus on fitness

Britain’s Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the French Open, just 24 hours before qualifying was due to begin.

The 21-year-old is not injured, but has decided to skip Roland Garros to train and give herself a “chance to keep fit for the rest of the year”.

Raducanu was not awarded a wildcard for the clay-court Grand Slam and her ranking was not high enough to gain direct entry into the main draw.

Qualifying starts on Monday and the French Open begins on 26 May.

“It’s important for me to keep laying on the foundations, and I will use the time to do a healthy block before the grass, and subsequent hard-court seasons to give myself a chance to keep fit for the rest of the year,” said the 2021 US Open champion.