Emma Raducanu will not compete at Wimbledon this year after being advised by doctors to withdraw due to a stress fracture in her right lower leg. The British No.1 announced her withdrawal late Sunday, just hours before the tournament's start.
Raducanu's Statement on Withdrawal
In a statement released shortly after 10pm, Raducanu 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. 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.'
Wimbledon's Response
Wimbledon responded to the news with a post on X, saying: 'We're so sorry to hear your news, @EmmaRaducanu - get better soon.' The tournament had been anticipating Raducanu's participation as the 30th seed.
Build-Up to Withdrawal
Speculation about Raducanu's fitness had been mounting for days. She was seen wearing a protective boot last Wednesday and was forced to skip training on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, she returned to court but cut her session with Russia's Anna Kalinskaya short by 10 minutes. She also cancelled her press conference, rescheduling it for Sunday. Despite a positive hitting session with Alexis Canter and her team, scans later confirmed the stress fracture.
Impact on British Seeds
Raducanu, ranked 33rd in the world, was due to be one of just two British seeds in the tournament. Her withdrawal leaves Cameron Norrie, the 26th seed in the men's draw, as the only seeded British player. Raducanu had earlier expressed her determination to play, saying: 'I'm going to do everything with my team in terms of treatment, and that's the current plan. That's the plan right now, to play.'
Raducanu's Recent Struggles
Raducanu had been managing a lower-leg niggle since before the Queen's Club Championships, which she won after playing five matches. She noted: 'I have a lower-leg niggle that I've been dealing with since before Queen's, actually from the back end of the clay court season. I've been managing it. 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.'
The 2021 US Open champion has faced a challenging season, with significant time out due to injuries. She acknowledged the difficulty of the latest setback: '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. I think that's one thing that's really been helping in this latest setback.'
