Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from Wimbledon (Image: Getty)
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from Wimbledon on the eve of her first-round match. The British No. 1 said she had been managing a “niggle” in her lower leg, but had further scans on Sunday evening and confirmed that this showed a stress fracture.
Raducanu did not train for four days earlier this week and was reportedly seen wearing a protective boot on her right leg. She returned to the courts for two training sessions on Saturday, but cut off a practice set with Anna Kalinskaya 10 minutes early while trailing 0-4, and postponed her press conference to Sunday.
She practised again on Sunday morning and showed small signs of improvement before her press conference at 3.30pm. There, Raducanu said she was doing everything she could to be ready for her opening match against Antonia Ruzic on Court 1 at 1pm on Monday, and still planned to play.
However, the No. 30 seed announced her withdrawal shortly after 10pm on Sunday., around 15 hours before she was due to take to the court.
In a statement shared on social media, Raducanu, 23, wrote: “Hi everyone, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but sadly I’ve had to withdraw from this year’s Wimbledon.
“I’ve done everything possible to try to get to the start line tomorrow but after a final scan tonight, the niggle I’ve been managing has developed into a stress fracture and I’ve been medically advised to stop pushing through.
“Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process. I want to thank you all for your support and encouragement. Especially at a time like this, it is invaluable. I look forward to seeing you when I’m back.”
Emma Raducanu wore strapping at the front of her ankle during weekend practice sessions (Image: Getty)
It’s been a tough year for Raducanu, whose preseason was first derailed by a foot injury. She picked up an illness during her run to the Transylvania Open final in February, which continued to bother her during tournaments in the Middle East and Indian Wells.
The post-viral illness then sidelined the world No. 32 for more than two months. She returned in May but lost in the first round of the Strasbourg International and the French Open. Raducanu showed promising signs when she reached the final at London’s Queen’s Club Earlier this month.
However, earlier on Sunday, she explained that this increase in load likely affected the niggle she had been carrying. “I have a lower-leg niggle that I’ve been dealing with since before Queen’s, actually from the back end of the clay court season. I’ve been managing it,” she said before having the final scans.
“I think it’s something that I’d say recently has probably, after Queen’s maybe, during that week, was a lot of load for me. Five matches after having not competed for a while, I think it was just a lot of load. But yeah, I’m just managing it with my team as best as I possibly can, exhausting all options and doing what we can.”
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