Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from Wimbledon just hours before her scheduled first-round match, citing a stress fracture in her right lower leg. The British No. 1, 23, was due to face Croatia's Antonia Ruzic on Court 1 on Monday afternoon but pulled out late Sunday night after a scan confirmed the injury.
Raducanu's Withdrawal
Raducanu announced the decision shortly after 10pm on Sunday, just hours after telling journalists at the All England Club she planned to play. In a statement, she said: '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.'
She added: '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.'
Replacement Named
Raducanu's replacement is lucky loser Darja Semenistaja, a Latvian ranked world No. 112. Semenistaja was the sixth seed in qualifying and lost in straight sets to Russian Anastasia Gasanova but will now play her first main draw match at Wimbledon. Her match against Ruzic has been moved from Court 1 to Court 17, second on schedule, starting not before 1pm.
Meanwhile, British player Harriet Dart will face Jelena Ostapenko on Court 1 instead. Fellow Brit Heather Watson, 34, had hoped to get the call after losing in the final qualifying round but misses out on the Grand Slam for the first time since turning professional in 2010.
Injury Background
Raducanu had been managing the injury throughout June after reaching the final at Queen's, her first on grass, where she lost 6-0, 7-6 to Donna Vekic. She subsequently pulled out of the Nottingham Open. The world No. 33 explained on Sunday afternoon: 'I've been managing it. 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. It's been tricky.'
She added: 'I had a great week at Queen's. All I want to do is to keep building on that momentum. I've had a tough start to the season, a lot of time out. I think hearing and feeling this is difficult. I have great people around me.'
Impact on British Tennis
Raducanu's withdrawal leaves only one British seed at Wimbledon this year: Cameron Norrie as the 26th seed in the men's draw. Jack Draper and Katie Boulter have suffered significant ranking drops in the last 12 months due to injuries. Wimbledon posted on X: 'We're so sorry to hear your news, @EmmaRaducanu - get better soon.'
