Emma Raducanu says her decision to withdraw from Wimbledon is a really difficult decision to process.
Orpington’s Raducanu announced she was pulling out of the Championships on Sunday night – despite confirming her intention to play just hours before in a press conference – with a stress fracture of her lower leg.
It’s the second time the world No.33 and former US Open champion has pulled out of SW19 after missing the 2023 event.
Raducanu hadn’t played since Queen’s earlier this month, missing the Nottingham Open after her run to the final, and she missed some practice at Wimbledon last week before cutting short Saturday’s set session with Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya.
And despite a positive knock-up on the courts on Sunday morning, and commenting afterwards that “the plan right now is to play” her first-round match with Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic, Raducanu announced her withdrawal late on Sunday.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this but sadly I’ve had to withdraw from Wimbledon,” she said.
“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 means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process.
“I look forward to seeing you when I’m back.”
