The British No. 1 Emma Raducanu has pulled out of Wimbledon because of a stress fracture in her lower leg. Raducanu, who had been dealing with a lower leg issue, made the announcement 12 hours before her scheduled first-round match against Croatian Antonia Ruzic. She had been managing a “niggle” in her lower leg since reaching the final at the Queen’s Championships earlier this month, her second final on the WTA Tour this year.
“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, 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,” Raducanu shared on her Instagram story section. Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, holds immense significance for her, making the decision particularly challenging.
Concerns regarding the 2021 US Open champion’s readiness for Wimbledon arose when she was seen wearing a protective boot last Wednesday. Raducanu returned to the court on Saturday to assess her fitness, sporting strapping on her lower right leg during a training session with her team. She had to cut short a practice session with Anna Kalinskaya later on.
This stress fracture adds to Raducanu’s physical challenges this season. Her training was hampered during the off-season due to a foot injury, followed by struggles with a virus in February. Missing WTA 1000 events in Miami, Madrid, and Rome due to illness concerns, Raducanu confirmed she had been managing the leg issue since the conclusion of the clay-court swing.
