LONDON — Emma Raducanu has made the heart-wrenching decision to withdraw from Wimbledon due to a stress fracture in her right leg, leaving the tournament without its most prominent British star.
The 2021 U.S. Open champion shared her announcement on Instagram Sunday evening, revealing she was set to compete on No. 1 Court against Antonia Ruzic on Monday.
Raducanu had been grappling with this injury since her impressive run to the final at Queen’s Club earlier this month, but just hours before her announcement, she expressed hope at a news conference to take the court at the All England Club.
In her heartfelt message, Raducanu stated, “I’ve done everything I could to be ready for tomorrow’s match, but after a final scan tonight, it became clear that the issue I’ve been nursing has turned into a stress fracture. I’ve been advised by my medical team to refrain from pushing myself any further. Competing at Wimbledon in front of a home crowd means the world to me, making this a truly challenging moment.”
Despite her unexpected triumph at the U.S. Open as a qualifier at just 18, Raducanu has yet to claim another tour-level tournament title before or after. However, her performance at Queen’s Club showcased some of her finest tennis in recent times, even though she ultimately fell to Donna Vekic in the final.
She mentioned earlier that she first experienced discomfort during the clay-court season, which intensified during her warm-up for the grass-court event.
“The week at Queen’s was quite demanding for me,” she reflected. “Five matches after a long break in competition. My team and I have been managing it to the best of our abilities, exploring all options available.”
