Berlin Open: Qinwen Zheng And Emma Raducanu Out With Concerning Injuries As Wimbledon Looms

The Berlin Open is underway, and two players have withdrawn because of injuries.

Qinwen Zheng has withdrawn from the tournament with a neck injury.  Zheng is the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist who has risen to World No. 4 in the latest WTA rankings.   She opened her grass court campaign last week at the Queen’s Cup Championships with a semifinal finish losing to Amanda Anisimova.  Prior to that, Qinwen Zheng posted impressive wins over American McCartney Kessler and British star Emma Raducanu who is dealing with injury issues of her own.

Zheng was expected to open her Berlin campaign against 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.  Rybakina will instead face lucky loser American Ashlyn Krueger.

Emma Raducanu also injured

British tennis player Emma Raducanu, who lost in straight sets in last week’s Queen’s Club Championship quarterfinals to Qinwen Zheng also withdrew from the Berlin Open.  Raducanu is dealing with a back injury.

Grass court season is the shortest in professional tennis so both women want to get healthy in time for the opening of Wimbledon on June 30.  Since Qinwen Zheng and Emma Raducanu played last week’s Wimbledon warmup tournament in London, that could be the last we see of either of them until the end of the month.

The Berlin Open is where top players are making their grass court debut after taking some time off after the French Open which ended on June 8.  French Open singles champion Coco Gauff and finalist Aryna Sabalenka will be in action in Berlin.  Jasmine Paolini, along with her French Open champion doubles partner Sara Errani, will play singles and doubles in Berlin. Jessica Pegula, the Berlin Open defending champion, is playing singles and doubles with Ashlyn Krueger.

Watch the 94th WTA 500 Berlin Open on the Tennis Channel.  The final will be played on June 22, 2025 at Steffi Graf Stadium.