Briton Loses to Collins in Strasbourg, Raises Concerns About Fitness

Emma Raducanu’s preparations for the French Open took a concerning turn on Tuesday as she suffered an injury scare in a loss to Danielle Collins in the quarter-finals of the Strasbourg tournament. The 22-year-old Briton, who was aiming to reach her second WTA Tour quarter-final of 2025, was forced to take a medical timeout in the second set due to a lower back issue.

Despite appearing to move freely after the timeout, Raducanu struggled to regain momentum, and Collins ultimately won the match 4-6 6-1 6-3. The American, a former Australian Open runner-up, will now face either top seed Jessica Pegula or Russian world number 30 Anna Kalinskaya in the semi-finals.

Raducanu had been hoping to use the Strasbourg tournament as an opportunity to get more practice on clay courts ahead of the French Open, which begins on Sunday. Despite taking an early lead in the first set, she was unable to sustain her pressure, and Collins pulled away to win the set 6-1.

The Briton’s injury scare has raised concerns about her fitness ahead of the French Open, where she will be looking to make a strong impression. Raducanu had previously spoken about building a relationship with clay courts, having won three consecutive matches on the surface in the Italian Open fourth round.

Collins, who beat Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek in Italy last week, was a dominant force in the second set, breaking serve twice without reply. Raducanu was eventually forced to call for the physio, and after a brief discussion, left the court. To the relief of her team, she appeared to move freely once the match resumed, but Collins would not be denied a deciding set.

Raducanu applied significant pressure in the final set, failing to take her first eight break points before converting her ninth to force the set back on serve at 3-3. However, Collins outlasted her in the closing stages, breaking her twice to love as she completed the turnaround after two hours and 20 minutes.

The loss is a setback for Raducanu, who will now have to regroup and prepare for the French Open. Meanwhile, Collins will look to continue her strong form, with potential semi-final opponents including Spanish third seed Paula Badosa and Russian Liudmila Samsonova.