Emma Raducanu says her back problem is still “not 100 per cent” ahead of her first-round appearance at the French Open.
The British number two had a back spasm while playing in Strasbourg on Wednesday, a similar injury to one she suffered before the Australian Open in January.
Raducanu has been undergoing treatment including acupuncture to ease the problem – despite having a phobia of needles.
“Yeah, it’s not feeling 100 per cent,” she said. “I had a spasm in Strasbourg, and just been trying to manage it as best I can, doing treatment.
“I’ve been on the practice court last night and this morning. it felt OK, but obviously it’s different playing a match. I’m trying to do everything to get up to speed as fast as possible.
“I would say the one before Australia was worse. I feel like this one I kind of caught before it fully locked up.
“So I think the treatment is a lot of it with the physios, a lot of it with heat. Been doing some needling.
“At the start of the year I was so scared of needles. It was my biggest phobia. That was the only way I was going to be able to play Australia.
“So since then, I’ve been kind of dipping my toes into it because I know it helps even though I’m really scared of them. That’s how I’ve kind of been trying to manage it.”
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