Emma Raducanu has been pictured on crutches after withdrawing from Wimbledon with a stress fracture in her lower right leg. The British No. 1 was seen making her way to a restaurant in Chelsea alongside her new partner, John Friend, a 32-year-old PR specialist.
Withdrawal from Wimbledon
Raducanu's involvement had been in question throughout the weekend, with reports emerging that she had been wearing a protective boot while going four days without training. She eventually returned to the practice court over the weekend, with strapping visible around the front of her right ankle. On Sunday afternoon, she confirmed she still intended to compete. Yet just after 10pm — roughly 15 hours before she was scheduled to step out on Court 1 against Antonia Ruzic — she announced she would not be taking part.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but sadly I've had to withdraw from this year's Wimbledon," she wrote. "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."
Prize Money and Recovery
Despite never setting foot on court, with Latvian lucky loser Darja Semenistaja stepping in as her replacement — only to fall to Ruzic — Raducanu was still entitled to 50 per cent of first-round prize money, in line with Grand Slam regulations governing on-site withdrawals. The 30th seed consequently received £40,000. It remains unclear when the 23-year-old Brit will return to competitive action.
New Relationship and Support
Raducanu was initially pictured with Friend earlier this month in Battersea Park, merely one day following a disappointing loss in the Queen's final. When questioned about those images before Wimbledon - and whether maintaining a fulfilling personal life aided her professional performance - she responded: "Very cordially put. I would say that, look, I have great people around me. I have amazing support from my team, from my family, from my friends. It means a lot. I think especially when you're going through setbacks, it helps. I think just being around positive people, around positive influences, it's always going to help through tough times."
Support from Fellow Players
British No. 4 Francesca Jones has expressed confidence in Raducanu's ability to recover from this latest setback. Jones suffered a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Diane Parry in the opening round and reflected on both Raducanu and Jack Draper's fitness struggles after the latter pulled out on Monday, having reaggravated the bone bruising in his left arm. Jones said: "I mean, she's done it before. She'll probably do it again. I would say the three of us have been through a lot, Jack, Emma, and I, probably the three that have had it tough over the years, but I don't know. This is where you show what you're made of, right? It's tough. Yeah, I mean, I'd say I have spent more time off court than most people, to be honest. It's tough. My only advice is you either commit with conviction, or it's better to just give yourself some space."
