Emma Raducanu’s participation in Wimbledon appears uncertain after she ended her practice session early on Saturday. The British number one postponed her pre-tournament media commitments shortly after concluding a practice set against Anna Kalinskaya with 10 minutes remaining.
Raducanu, who is the 30th seed at the All England Club, is scheduled to begin her campaign on Monday against Antonia Ruzic of Croatia on Court One at 13:00 BST. She did not train on Thursday or Friday due to what is believed to be a shin issue, but returned to the court on Saturday to assess her fitness.
Wearing strapping on her lower right leg, Raducanu displayed caution during an hour-long session with her team on the Aorangi Park practice courts, where her mobility was not extensively tested. Following this, she moved to Court Three to hit with Kalinskaya, but after losing four games in their practice set, she decided she could not continue.
Injury Concerns and Preparations
Less than 30 minutes after leaving the court, it was announced that Raducanu’s news conference, originally set for around 16:00 on Saturday, had been cancelled. Wimbledon organisers stated that her media duties would be rescheduled for Sunday.
Even if Raducanu is deemed fit enough to play Ruzic, her disrupted preparation raises concerns for the demands of a Grand Slam tournament. She has faced a series of injury problems since her US Open victory in New York five years ago. A viral illness also meant she played only six matches from early February until the start of Queen’s earlier this month.
Raducanu has been managing a foot problem since reaching the Queen’s final this month. She was seen at the All England Club on Saturday with her right ankle secured in protective tape. Her team confirmed she is dealing with a niggle, and she did not appear on the practice schedule for Friday.
The 23-year-old took part in a training session at the Aorangi training park at midday before her practice session on Court 3 with Kalinskaya, the world number 20, at 1pm. Despite initially appearing in good spirits, Raducanu concluded the session approximately 10 minutes ahead of schedule after losing four consecutive games.
Raducanu’s scheduled press conference for later in the afternoon was subsequently rearranged for Sunday, with the exact time of her pre-tournament media appearance yet to be confirmed. It seems Raducanu is allowing herself as much time as possible to manage the injury, with time becoming a factor before her first-round match on Monday.
Recent Form and Tournament History
Reaching the final in London, where she lost in straight sets to Donna Vekic of Croatia, marked a significant positive step. Raducanu showcased the aggressive style of tennis she aims to regain after reuniting with Andrew Richardson, the coach who guided her to her US Open triumph before their immediate separation.
However, playing five matches in six days, which was the most she had played since February, has reportedly taken a toll. Raducanu reached her third career final two weeks ago, battling impressively to the final of Queen’s in front of her home supporters in west London, where she lost to former Wimbledon semi-finalist Vekic.
The former US Open champion made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon in her debut at the tournament in 2021. She matched that result in 2024 before being defeated by top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the third round last year. Raducanu, the 30th seed at Wimbledon, is set to open play on Court No 1 at 1pm on Monday, facing Ruzic, the world number 60 from Croatia.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
Dominic Hayes is the Sports News Writer at NewsGB, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with five years of reporting experience. He started on a north-east sports desk. He holds a degree in Journalism from Teesside University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Middlesbrough, he follows pro golf and amateur boxing. “Fast and accurate is the only standard worth keeping.”
