Katie Boulter has offered a reassuring perspective to Emma Raducanu, stating that the British No. 1 has “another 10 years” to compete at Wimbledon, as concerns mount over Raducanu’s participation in the tournament. Raducanu ended a scheduled training session with Anna Kalinskaya 10 minutes early on Saturday while trailing 0-4 in a practice set. Approximately 20 minutes later, she cancelled her pre-tournament press conference for Saturday afternoon and rescheduled it to Sunday.
Practice Session Cut Short Amid Injury Worries
The 30th seed was reportedly seen wearing a protective boot earlier this week and wore strapping on her right ankle during two practices at Wimbledon on Saturday – one at Aorangi Park, and the session with Kalinskaya, which ended prematurely. Raducanu, 23, is due to face world No. 60 Antonia Ruzic in her first match on Court 1 at 1pm on Monday, roughly 48 hours after that worrying practice set. It remains uncertain whether she will be able to take to the court.
Boulter's Support and Perspective
Fellow British star Katie Boulter, ranked world No. 59, expressed empathy and trust in Raducanu’s decision-making. “I mean, it's awful to see. I can relate to her in many, many ways. I think I completely trust her and her team will make the right decision no matter what. I think that's something that she's always been really good at. I think in the moment, at that time, she will know what's best for her,” Boulter said in her own pre-tournament press conference.
Boulter added, “Obviously, don't want to ever see a British player come out of their home Slam. I don't want to see that. I've been there, done that, don't want to see it. It's not a nice feeling for anyone, so yeah, I mean, I hope she's absolutely fine. I really do. And if she's not, she's going to be here another 10 years, so she's going to have every single year to play. I'm always right behind Emma. So yeah, I hope she's okay.”
Raducanu's Recent Health and Form
Raducanu is expected to practice at the All England Club again on Sunday morning, but it is not yet known when she will address the media. The world No. 32 has been dealing with a niggle after reaching the Queen’s final earlier this month. Post-viral illness left Raducanu sidelined for more than two months this season, and she returned in May, losing in the first round in Strasbourg and the French Open. The Brit then finished runner-up at Queen’s, a significant increase in load after spending so long out of competition.
