Injured Raducanu withdraws from Wimbledon
British No.1 Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from Wimbledon on the eve of the tournament due to a stress fracture in her lower right leg.
Emma Raducanu will not compete at Wimbledon this year, announcing her withdrawal late on Sunday evening just hours after telling reporters she intended to play. The 23-year-old British No.1, seeded 30th, was scheduled to face Croatia's Antonia Ruzic on Court One on Monday.
Raducanu revealed that a scan taken on Sunday night showed a stress fracture in her lower right leg, which developed from a persistent niggle she had been managing. "I've done everything possible to try to get to the start line but after a final scan tonight the niggle I've been managing has developed into a stress fracture," she said. "I've been medically advised to stop pushing through."
Concerns about Raducanu's fitness had been growing over the previous week. She was seen wearing a protective boot on Wednesday and was unable to train on Thursday and Friday due to what is believed to be a shin problem. The 2021 US Open champion returned to the court on Saturday for a test session, wearing strapping on her lower right leg, and began with a gentle hour-long practice with her team. However, she cut short a subsequent practice session with Russia's Anna Kalinskaya after just one set, with 10 minutes remaining.
Raducanu showed slight improvement during a practice session on Sunday morning, moving more confidently against hitting partner Alexis Canter, particularly when pushing off her right leg on the forehand side. But the session was not as rigorous a test of her movement as the one against Kalinskaya the previous day.
This is the latest in a series of injury setbacks for Raducanu since her stunning US Open victory in 2021.
