Emma Raducanu has sparked fresh concern ahead of Wimbledon after reportedly missing another scheduled practice session and failing to appear at the All England Club. The former US Open champion had appeared to be building momentum at just the right time after reaching the final at Queen's earlier this month, raising hopes of a strong run on home soil. However, questions have now emerged over her fitness just days before the start of the Championships.
Missed Practice Sessions Raise Alarm
According to reports from tennis outlet CLAY, Raducanu was absent from training on Wednesday amid fears she is dealing with an injury issue. It was also claimed she had been seen wearing an orthopaedic boot. Those concerns were initially played down, with a representative reportedly insisting the British star was fine and expected to return to practice on Thursday. But further alarm bells were sounded when Raducanu failed to attend a scheduled session for a second successive day, with the Brit not showing up for her scheduled 12pm practice time, and was reportedly not seen at the All England Club at all.
Timing and Ranking Pressure
The timing is far from ideal for the world No. 32, who is preparing to defend the ranking points she earned by reaching the third round at Wimbledon last year. Raducanu's run to the Queen's final earlier this month represented one of her strongest performances for some time after an injury-disrupted spring saw her slide down the rankings.
Former Coach's Support
The 23-year-old has faced persistent scrutiny since her remarkable US Open triumph in 2021, but former coach Mark Petchey believes she remains capable of competing at the very highest level. "I love Emma to bits," Petchey said. "I'll take a bullet for her. I think her situation is so unique. She's a hell of a tennis player. But it's challenging because if you don't win another one, it's deemed a sub-optimal outcome." Petchey added that Raducanu should not be judged solely against her fairytale success in New York five years ago. "She can win another one for sure, I've always believed that about her," he said. "If she can find a way to just do the ordinary in an extraordinary way, every single day, and not look for a shortcut back to where she was in 2021, she'll be fine."
Draw and Next Steps
Raducanu and the rest of the Wimbledon field are due to discover their paths through the tournament when the draw is made on Friday. For now, though, attention remains fixed on whether Britain's former Grand Slam champion will be fully fit when play gets under way at SW19.
