Wimbledon chief breaks silence on
The All England Club CEO says it’s “devastating” for Emma Raducanu to have to miss Wimbledon. The British No. 1 announced her withdrawal shortly after 10pm on Sunday night – around 15 hours before she was due to take to the court for her first-round clash against Antonia Ruzic on Court 1.
Earlier in the day, the No. 30 seed confirmed she had been managing a “lower leg niggle”. But Raducanu had a further scan in the evening, which confirmed the issue had developed into a stress fracture, and she was “medically advised to stop pushing through”.
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Raducanu has since been replaced in the draw by lucky loser Darja Semenistaja. And Wimbledon chief Sally Bolton, who is enjoying her final Championships before stepping down from her post as the club’s CEO, sent her well-wishes to the home favourite following her last-minute withdrawal.
“I mean, it's so devastating for a player to have to withdraw the night before a Grand Slam, and particularly for your home Grand Slam. I think the first thing to say is that, terribly sorry for Emma, and we wish her all the best of luck in her recovery,” Bolton said on day one of the Championships.
“Really look forward to seeing her back on the court again, and, of course, back here next year. It is devastating.”
But she also reminded fans that there were plenty of Brits in action. There are now 20 left in the men’s and women’s singles draws following Raducanu’s withdrawal.
Bolton added: “For us, I suppose, the good thing to look forward to is we've got lots of Brits competing. I think there's 11 competing today So if you're here to watch the Brits on court, there's still lots to see, but terribly sad news for Emma.”
Raducanu’s match against Ruzic was expected to open play on Court 1 at 1pm. This has now been replaced by a match between the 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and British No. 5 Harriet Dart.
The 2021 US Open winner had already raised fears over her participation when she failed to practice on-site for four days. Raducanu was also reportedly seen wearing a protective boot on her right leg, and later returned to training over the weekend with strapping at the front of her right ankle.
Speaking on Sunday afternoon, she confirmed she still planned to compete and was doing everything she could to be ready. But around seven hours later, she announced her withdrawal.
“Hi everyone, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but sadly I’ve had to withdraw from this year’s Wimbledon,” Raducanu wrote. “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. I want to thank you all for your support and encouragement. Especially at a time like this, it is invaluable. I look forward to seeing you when I’m back.”
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