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British number one Emma Raducanu has withdrawn on the eve of Wimbledon after suffering a stress fracture in her lower right leg.
The 23-year-old took to her official Instagram account last night, just after 10pm BST, to announce her decision that she won’t be playing in her home Grand Slam.
Raducanu was due to start her campaign today (Monday 29 June) against Croatia’s Antonia Ruiz on Court One.
Announced on her official Instagram account, she said: “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.”
The news comes just seven hours after the former US Open champion spoke to the media at the All England Club and, after days of speculation regarding her fitness, she said she was planning to take on the Croatian on the opening day.
However, there have been plenty of doubts in the last few days on whether Raducanu would be fit to compete.
Spotted wearing a protective boot in SW19 on Wednesday, Raducanu then did not take part in the practice sessions on Thursday and Friday and, despite managing to get on court on Saturday with strapping on her lower right leg, she was then forced to cut her session after moving gingerly in her practice match against Anna Kalinskaya.
It’s another setback for Raducanu in a career that has been hampered by injuries since she won the US Open in New York five years ago.
Having reached the Queen’s final on grass earlier this month, there was an extra breath of optimism and confidence that Raducanu could go deep at Wimbledon, especially with the women’s draw wide open compared to recent years.
And, like any British player, Raducanu does not want to miss playing in front of a home crowd at a Grand Slam – and it is why she left deciding to pull out so late.
