BBC New 16th October

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Transcript

00:00Emma Raducanu has ended her tennis season two weeks early because of illness.

00:04The British No. 1 had hoped for a strong finish to the season

00:07to guarantee herself a seeding at the Australian Open in January.

00:12But that is now up in the air, as Natalie Perks reports.

00:16It was the wildcard win which catapulted a teenager into the spotlight.

00:21But four years after her whirlwind U.S. Open victory,

00:25injury and illness have once again cut short her season.

00:30Raducanu is now receiving a medical term out.

00:32This week Raducanu lost her third consecutive match,

00:36plagued by illness and back pain.

00:38It means a season that promised so much has ended early.

00:42She's the most competitive person I know.

00:44Nobody likes to lose, but she'd always want to come back

00:48and do well the next tournament.

00:49And it's a shame that she hasn't got that opportunity now.

00:52For the first time in more than three years,

00:54Raducanu reached the world's top 30 this season,

00:57a nation dared to dream against No. 1 Irina Sabalenka

01:00on Wimbledon's centre court.

01:04But that was another defeat against a top 10 player.

01:08She lost 10 of her 11 matches this season

01:10against top-ranked opposition.

01:12Despite that statistic,

01:14this was Raducanu's best year since the U.S. Open win.

01:17Cutting it short makes sense.

01:20There's no point in just trying to continue to play,

01:23especially when you're under the weather

01:24and you have a bit of a back problem.

01:26It's better to rest, recharge,

01:28and then plot the season that's just around the corner.

01:32She's sticking with her latest coach, Francisco Roig,

01:35into next season,

01:36crediting him as a confident and calm presence.

01:40The serial winner will be hoping

01:41he can get her back to her best.

01:44Natalie Perks, BBC News.