Emma Raducanu Withdraws from Italian Open Due to Post-Viral Illness, Raising Doubts About French Open Participation British tennis star Emma Raducanu has pulled out of the Italian Open in Rome due to a lingering post-viral illness, casting uncertainty over her readiness for the upcoming French Open. Despite expressing optimism during her pre-tournament media duties, Raducanu's withdrawal marks another setback in her recovery process. She has missed several tournaments this year, including the Miami Open, Linz Open, and Madrid Open, as she struggles to regain full fitness. With only two more WTA events before Roland-Garros, her participation in the French Open remains in question. Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Italian Open due to a post-viral illness, marking another setback for the British tennis star. The 23-year-old made the decision to pull out of the event in Rome just 30 minutes after completing her pre-tournament media duties, where she had expressed optimism about her recovery. Raducanu, who has not competed since March 8 due to the illness, had been training and participating in practice matches in the Italian capital this week. During her press conference, she had stated that she was feeling great on the court and showed little sign of her impending withdrawal. I was feeling really good on the court and every day I'm working towards something, she said.The break has helped me feel really motivated coming back, very hungry and happy to be out here training and putting out great sessions every day. Raducanu emphasized the physical demands of clay courts but expressed her desire to return fully prepared. I have been building my way up slowly and looking forward to when I get out there, she added.However, a tournament supervisor confirmed her withdrawal at 7pm, casting further doubt on her participation in the upcoming French Open in Paris later this month. According to WTA Tour rules, players are obligated to fulfill media duties even if they withdraw, and Raducanu faced a potential fine of up to $15,000 if she had refused. This withdrawal follows her earlier pullouts from the Linz Open and the Madrid Open this month as she continues to recover from the viral illness.She also missed the Miami Open in March after contracting the illness following her run to the Transylvania Open final in February. With the French Open beginning on May 24, Raducanu has only two more opportunities to return to the court at the WTA events in Strasbourg and Rabat in two weeks. Her withdrawal from the Italian Open underscores the challenges she has faced in her comeback journey, raising questions about her readiness for the clay-court season