Emma Raducanu's participation at Wimbledon remains in serious doubt after the British No. 1 was forced to cut short her training session at the All England Club on Saturday, just two days before her opening match. The 2021 US Open champion had been managing a right foot injury since her run to the final at Queen's Club and had not trained for the past two days after being spotted leaving the venue wearing a medical boot on her right foot.
Practice Session Cut Short
Raducanu returned to practice on Saturday afternoon with heavy tape on her right ankle and lower leg. After warming up with Anna Kalinskaya on the Aorangi Park practice courts, the pair moved to Court 3 and began a practice set. However, Raducanu's mood quickly darkened once she was forced to move during points, as she struggled to push off her right ankle when striking the ball.
Down 0-4, 0-15, Raducanu netted a backhand while off-balance and then gestured to Kalinskaya that she could no longer play. After embracing the Russian at the net, Raducanu and her coaching team left the court in solemn mood with 15 minutes still to play. Kalinskaya and her team finished their court time with some feeding drills.
Media Duties Cancelled
Raducanu had been scheduled to conduct her pre-tournament media duties on Saturday afternoon, but shortly after her practice, they were rescheduled for Sunday. The 30th seed at Wimbledon is scheduled to face Antonia Ruzic, the Croatian ranked No. 60 in the world, on Monday at 1pm on No. 1 Court.
Ongoing Injury Struggles
This injury is the latest and most frustrating physical problem for Raducanu, who was sidelined for most of the off-season by a foot injury. After struggling with a virus for much of February, she was forced off the court for two months between March and May due to post-viral illness. Raducanu began the grass-court season searching for her first win in three years and appeared to have turned a corner after playing some of her best tennis to reach the final at Queen's Club.
Instead, whether or not she is present on Monday, Raducanu's focus is once again on trying to keep her frail body in one piece rather than improving as a player. She was forced to withdraw from the championships in 2023 after undergoing surgery to both wrists and an ankle, and struggled with back pain in the buildup to Wimbledon 2024.
