Emma Raducanu was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon less than 24 hours before her first-round match against Antonia Ruzic, after a scan revealed a stress fracture in her lower right leg. The 23-year-old Briton, seeded 30th, had been managing a niggle since the clay court season and aggravated it during her run to the final at Queen's, where she lost to Donna Vekic 6-0, 7-6(6).
Injury Timeline and Training Setbacks
Raducanu did not train for four days earlier in the week and was reportedly seen wearing a protective boot. She returned for two practice sessions on Saturday but cut short a set with Anna Kalinskaya while trailing 0-4. On Sunday, she postponed her press conference to practice again, showing slight improvement before undergoing scans later that evening. The results confirmed a stress fracture, ruling her out of the tournament and denying her the £80,000 first-round prize money.
Official Announcement and Player Reaction
Raducanu announced her withdrawal at 10pm on Sunday via social media, stating: “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.”
Impact on Schedule and British Fans
Raducanu’s withdrawal forced a last-minute schedule change on No. 1 Court. Ruzic, ranked 61st, will now face a lucky loser from qualifying on Court No. 17. British No. 5 Harriet Dart, ranked 151st, was moved up to play Jelena Ostapenko in the first match on No. 1 Court. Raducanu had been listed on the official order of play as of 9:30am Monday, but the schedule was updated to reflect her replacement.
Previous Fitness Concerns
In her Sunday press conference before the scan results, Raducanu explained: “I have a lower-leg niggle that I’ve been dealing with since before Queen’s, actually from the back end of the clay court season. I think it’s something that recently has probably, after Queen’s, during that week, was a lot of load for me. Five matches after having not competed for a while, I think it was just a lot of load.” Her best Wimbledon performances were fourth-round finishes in 2021 and 2024.
