5 days ago
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Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from planned exhibition matches in the USA with a foot injury.
The British No1 was due to face close friend and Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova in Newark and Miami next month.
The exhibition events would also have seen Raducanu reprise her mega-star partnership with Carlos Alcaraz which debuted at the US Open mixed doubles event.
But a statement from the events said: 'Pegula will replace Emma Raducanu who dropped her participation due to injury'.
Daily Mail Sport understands the withdrawal of Raducanu, who celebrated her 23rd birthday last week, is precautionary and due to minor bone bruising in her right foot.
She and her team decided it was better not to risk any disruption to her planned pre-season with coach Francis Roig.
Emma Raducanu has pulled out of exhibition matches in the United States due to an injury
She was due to reprise her partnership with Carlos Alcaraz which debuted in the US this year
In fact, for a young woman with her injury record, it was probably not the wisest move in the first place to commit to an extra-curricular exhibition event during the off-season.
Raducanu struggled with back pain in her most recent match - last month in Ningbo, China - and decided to curtail her competitive season.
With this hit and giggle affair in the States now also scrapped, all the focus will be on arriving in Australia fully fit for next season.
To that end, Daily Mail Sport understands Raducanu has recently begun working with a new physio: Emma Stewart, formerly of British Rowing.
Stewart worked with the gold-medal winning men's squad on the Paris 2024 Olympic cycle.
