Emma Raducanu’s scary episode that saw the British tennis star complain of feeling ‘dizzy and faint’ at the Miami Open may have been due to dehydration, according to a fitness expert. Raducanu lost in her quarter-final match to Jessica Pegula on Wednesday night in Florida after struggling with overheating during the second set of the tie. The 22-year-old went on to force a deciding set but Pegula clinched her victory with a 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2 scoreline to end Raducanu’s run in Miami. Her brief stoppage midway through the match sparked concern amongst fans as a doctor was called onto the court to apply ice towels and blocks of ice to her skin to lower her body temperature. The former British No. 1 also had her blood pressure taken to underline the severity of the issue.
Speaking after her loss, Raducanu admitted she wasn’t sure what caused the problem but conceded she struggled to cope with the conditions. “I just felt really dizzy. I felt faint. I don’t know, it was very humid out there and we have a long wait, so maybe just an accumulation [of things] and just physical points as well and there were long rallies and heavy conditions,” she said. “I don’t know how I kind of regrouped in that second set, but in the third I definitely struggled a little bit.”
Daniel Herman, an expert nutritionist and personal trainer with 28 years of experience, has worked with elite athletes before including ex-F1 driver David Coulthard and former Team GB rower James Cracknell. The founder of Bio Synergy, 51, advises his clients on how to optimise their health and wellbeing and one of the core principles of his work is hydration to replace the water lost through sweat when exercising.
After reviewing the footage of Raducanu prior to her medical timeout, Herman identified what he believed to be the main cause behind her dizziness – and suggested that her team may have not properly prepared her for the severe conditions in Miami.
“It’s quite a common event for players playing at the Miami event to come across quite dizzy. This is really a result of dehydration,” Herman told Express Sport. “In a sport like tennis, where matches can go on for a long time without significant breaks, it’s easier for the body to get overheated.”
He added: “From my experience working with athletes, the first thing is acclimatisation. Could Emma have got out to Miami earlier to acclimatise to the weather? Have her team taken into account the change in temperature and climate in terms of her hydration strategy? When athletes are feeling dizzy, light-headed or nauseous, this is usually a result a dehydration and certainly an athlete, you’d recommend they were taking a isotonic or electrolyte drink to take lots of fluids quickly and maintain that balance in terms of the key electrolytes.
“Going into a hot climate having been ill previously [Raducanu retired from a match with a similar issue in 2021], that would’ve exacerbated it further and the key thing is warm-weather training, having a proper hydration strategy in place. Where she is in her menstrual cycle could’ve also had an impact as well.”
One of the issues raised by the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) recently is that stars are facing congested schedules and being forced to play at times which could be detrimental to their bodies. Raducanu played four matches over the course of six days in Miami before her exit, which is unusual for a player with her injury history, and Herman warned about the potential long-term effects this could have.
“All elite athletes are under immense pressure to perform all the time, and often during a season or during matches, they don’t get enough recovery time,” he added. “If you speak to any coach, recovery is absolutely key to optimum performance. If they’re being pushed harder, it can result in an outcome which isn’t ideal, feeling fatigued, or not performing at your best. Overtraining or overplaying can be a detriment in the long-term.”
