Emma Raducanu will compete in the Eastbourne Open next week, where she has been drawn against America`s Ann Li in the first round.
The 22-year-old British No. 1 has been dealing with a back issue since participating in Strasbourg in May. The problem was evident last week at Queen`s Club, where she needed a medical timeout during her quarter-final loss to Zheng Qinwen.
However, Raducanu is deemed fit to play in this tournament, which serves as her final preparation before Wimbledon begins on June 30.
Last year at the LTA event on the south coast, Raducanu defeated Jessica Pegula before going on to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Seeded seventh for Eastbourne, Raducanu`s opening match against Li is scheduled for Monday. Other British players in action include Jodie Burrage, Harriet Dart, Sonay Cartel, and Mingge Xu.
Should Raducanu advance from the top half of the draw, she could potentially face two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur in the second round.
The reigning Eastbourne champion, Daria Kasatkina, currently ranked world No. 16, is another possible opponent for Raducanu in the quarter-finals.
Commenting on her back condition, Raducanu said: “It`s been lingering for the last few weeks and I have had back issues before. I think it`s just a vulnerability of mine. I know I need to take good care of it.”
She added, “I`m not overly concerned that it`s something serious, but I know it`s something that`s very annoying and needs proper and careful management.” Raducanu also described it as an issue that “comes and goes.”
Fourteen-year-old British player Megan Knight and fellow Brit Heather Watson are hoping to successfully navigate the qualifying rounds to join Raducanu in the main draw at the home event.
Qualifying for the Eastbourne Open is set to take place this weekend, with the main tournament draw commencing on Monday and culminating in the finals on Saturday, June 28.
