"I'm really scared of them" - Emma Raducanu confronts her 'biggest phobia' to treat concerning injury ahead of French Open

Emma Raducanu is giving it her all to be at full fitness for the 2025 French Open, including facing her biggest phobia. The Brit picked up a concerning injury while competing at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in the lead-up to the claycourt Major.

While battling it out against Danielle Collins in the second round of the WTA 500 event, Raducanu sustained a back spasm en route to her 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 loss. In an unfortunate update during her pre-tournament press conference at the French Open, the 22-year-old admitted that she was still "not feeling 100%."

However, Emma Raducanu, who had to withdraw from the 2025 ASB Classic due to a similar back spasm, said that her current injury wasn't as severe as the one she had suffered earlier this year. She disclosed that she was working with physiotherapists to treat the spasm with heat and needles.

"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," Raducanu said.

The Brit confessed that she confronted her intense fear of needles to receive the acupuncture treatment because of its remarkable benefits.

"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 been trying to manage it," she added.

Emma Raducanu will hope to be in fighting shape for her opening match at the French Open, scheduled to take place on Monday, May 26.

Emma Raducanu to lock horns with Wang Xinyu in French Open 1R

Emma Raducanu - Source: Getty

Emma Raducanu will kick off her 2025 French Open campaign against Wang Xinyu. They have only locked horns in one previous encounter on tour, with Wang claiming a 6-1, 6-7(0), 7-5 victory at the 2021 Linz Open. If the Brit wins and levels their head-to-head record, she will face three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek or Rebecca Sramkova in the second round.

Raducanu could then lock horns with Marta Kostyuk in the third round, followed by a potential meeting with Elena Rybakina or Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round. The 22-year-old's likely quarterfinal opponents include Elina Svitolina and Jasmine Paolini.

Emma Raducanu has only made one previous main draw appearance at the claycourt Major, losing in the second round in 2022. The Brit will aim to deliver a stronger performance at Roland Garros this year, especially after taking pride in her improvement on clay.