Emma Raducanu will receive £40,000 from Wimbledon despite being forced to withdraw from the Championships due to injury just hours before her opening match. Under Grand Slam rules, players who withdraw after the draw receive 50 per cent of the first-round prize money, which this year is £80,000 for singles players.
Raducanu's Heartbreaking Withdrawal
The British No. 1's withdrawal came after a scan confirmed a stress fracture in her lower right leg, ending hopes of a home run at SW19 before the tournament had even begun. Raducanu had been due to face Croatia's Antonia Ruzic in the first round on Monday but confirmed on social media that the 'niggle' she had been managing had developed into a stress fracture following a final scan.
She wrote: '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.'
Off-Court Happiness
The disappointment comes at a time when Raducanu has also found happiness away from the court. The 23-year-old's relationship with PR executive John Friend has become increasingly public in recent weeks. Friend, who works in sports communications, has been a regular presence in Raducanu's player box during the grass-court season and was seen supporting her during her run to the Queen's Club final.
She was asked about the new romance in a press conference that came just hours before her withdrawal statement. A reporter asked: 'Difficult one to phrase. In the context of two pages that appeared in a national newspaper a fortnight ago, I was wondering if being content off the court might be helpful to the rest of your career?'
Raducanu replied amid laughter: '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.'
Impact on Season
Her Wimbledon withdrawal means she misses the chance to build on the momentum she had generated during the grass-court season, having reached the final at Queen's and climbed back towards the world's top 30 before injury struck. The former US Open champion added: 'Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process.'
Although she will not hit a ball at this year's Championships, the tournament's withdrawal policy means Raducanu will still receive £40,000 - half of the £80,000 awarded to first-round singles players - while a lucky loser from qualifying takes her place in the draw. The latest setback is another frustrating chapter in Raducanu's injury-hit career, but she insisted she is already looking forward to returning to action once she has recovered.
