Raducanu’s Training Session Cut Short
Emma Raducanu’s presence at Wimbledon remains uncertain after the British No 1 ended her training session early at the All England Club. This occurred just two days before her scheduled opening match, intensifying concerns about her fitness for the tournament.
Raducanu, who has been managing a right foot injury since her appearance in the final at Queen’s Club, had not trained for two days prior to Saturday. She was reportedly seen leaving the venue earlier in the week wearing a medical boot on her right foot, indicating a persistent issue.
On Saturday afternoon, Raducanu returned to practice, sporting heavy tape on her right ankle and lower leg. She warmed up with Anna Kalinskaya on the Aorangi Park practice courts before they moved to Court 3 to begin a practice set.
However, Raducanu’s demeanour reportedly changed once she started moving during points. She appeared to struggle when pushing off her right ankle while striking the ball. The session was abruptly halted when, at 0-4, 0-15, Raducanu netted a backhand while off-balance and indicated to Kalinskaya that she could not continue. After a brief embrace, Raducanu and her coaching team departed the court with approximately 15 minutes of the session remaining, leaving Kalinskaya to complete her court time with feeding drills.
Rescheduled Media Duties and Ongoing Concerns
Following the abbreviated practice, Raducanu’s pre-tournament media duties, which were scheduled for Saturday afternoon, were rescheduled for Sunday. This change allows her more time to manage her injury ahead of her first-round match. Raducanu, seeded 30th at Wimbledon, is slated to face Antonia Ruzic of Croatia, who is ranked 60th in the world.
This latest physical challenge is part of a series of setbacks for Raducanu. She was sidelined for much of the off-season due to a foot injury and then struggled with a virus in February. This led to a two-month absence from the court between March and May because of a post-viral illness. Her season has been described as stop-start, with her physical fragility frequently being a central theme.
Despite these challenges, Raducanu had shown promising form in the grass-court season. After reuniting with coach Andrew Richardson, with whom she won the US Open in 2021, she reached the final at Queen’s Club two weeks prior to Wimbledon. This marked her second career final since her US Open victory, and she appeared to be playing some of her best tennis.
However, the physical demands of that run in west London, which included playing two matches in a single day due to rain, may now be impacting her readiness for Wimbledon. She has not played a match since the Queen’s Club final, and the focus has once again shifted to her physical condition rather than her on-court performance.
Raducanu has faced similar injury issues in previous years. She was forced to withdraw from the championships in 2023 after undergoing surgery on both wrists and an ankle. In the buildup to Wimbledon 2024, she also contended with back pain. The former US Open champion was managing back pain in the lead-up to Wimbledon last year as well.
The 23-year-old’s scheduled first-round match against Antonia Ruzic is set for 1pm on Monday on Court No 1.
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Source: theguardian.com
Sam Whitlock is a Sports News Writer at News-GB.org. He moved from local newspapers into digital sport. He focuses on rugby union, golf and boxing and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Gloucestershire and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Gloucester, he plays amateur rugby and follows the fight game. “Clarity beats cleverness in breaking sport news.”