Emma Raducanu withdrew from the first tournament of the new season due to injury.
The 22-year-old was forced to withdraw from the ASB Classic in Auckland due to back problems.
“I tried my best to be ready,” Raducanu said on the show WTA website. “I love Auckland and the fans there, but unfortunately I’ve injured my back and won’t be ready in time.”
The tournament was to be Raducan’s first since hiring renowned fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura.
The former British number one has struggled with fitness since her stunning triumph at the 2021 US Open, and missed two months at the end of last season with a foot injury.
Raducanu trained at the National Tennis Center in London after helping Great Britain reach the semi-finals of the Billie Jean King Cup last month, then headed to work in warm weather over Christmas.
In Auckland, she was seeded sixth, and in the opening match she was supposed to meet 20-year-old American Robin Montgomery. Former Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka and Sofia Kenin are also taking part in the tournament.
This is another blow for Raducan as her latest injury will not help her prepare for her first Grand Slam this year, the Australian Open, which starts on January 12.
