Emma Raducanu pauses US Open practice session in tears ahead of US Open title defence in New York

A tearful Emma Raducanu endured an injury scare ahead of the US Open on Friday as she twice paused a practice session – but the British No. 1 was quick to play down concerns about her fitness.

The 19-year-old, who was taking part in her first practice at Flushing Meadows ahead of her first-round match with Alize Cornet on Tuesday, appeared to feel discomfort in her wrist.

She briefly paused the session after a little over 30 minutes to tend to her right wrist, which had been strapped up.

Raducanu’s coach, Dmitry Tursunov, consoled the British No. 1 before she walked to the side of the court in tears.

The reigning US Open champion returned to the court to continue preparation for her opening match.

Physio Will Herbert then spent 15 minutes with Raducanu when she left the court for a second time, before she eventually completed the two-hour session without any further issue.

However at a media conference later on Friday, Raducanu shrugged off the injury worries. The 20-year-old revealed she had a “couple of blisters and niggles here and there” but said she had no concerns about her match on Louis Armstrong on Tuesday.

Raducanu is ‘better now’ than when she won US Open, claims Clijsters

The teenage sensation incredibly beat Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-3 in last year’s final, coming through 10 matches as a qualifier without dropping a set, but has since experienced a dip in form and struggled to progress further than the second round in each of the three Grand Slams played this year.

“She’s already done a lot more leading up to the US Open this year than she did last year,” Clijsters said when asked if Raducanu has endured a reality check.

“She’s beaten some really good players in the lead up tournaments, she is maturing as a tennis player.

“I think her tennis is better now than it was when she won the US Open, so those are all really good things.

“Again, it comes down to when you have such a life changing experience happen to you – and I’m not talking about what happens on the court – but everything else that gets that gets added to that.”