Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu pulled out of the Auckland Classic on Tuesday with a "back niggle" in a blow to her Australian Open preparations.

Grand Slam winner Emma Raducanu has pulled out of the Auckland Open with a back problem in a setback for her preparations for the Australian Open. Raducanu, seeded sixth in the Auckland warmup, was due to play American Robin Montgomery in the first match of the evening session later on Tuesday.

Emma Raducanu’s new season began in disappointingly familiar fashion when she withdrew from the Auckland Open with back trouble.