Raducanu withdraws from Wimbledon after stress fracture diagnosis

Emma Raducanu withdrew from Wimbledon on Sunday after a scan showed a stress fracture in her lower right leg, pulling her out of a first-round match that had been scheduled for Monday against Croatia’s Antonia Ružić on No. 1 Court. The British No. 1 and world No. 33 had been seeded No. 30 at the Championships.

The decision came less than 12 hours before Raducanu was due on court, leaving Wimbledon without its highest-profile British player and dimming home hopes before the main draw began. The Championships run from 29 June to 12 July 2026, and Raducanu’s exit removed one of the marquee names from the opening days.

Raducanu had faced growing concern over her fitness after several days of speculation, and she addressed the media earlier on Sunday at the All England Club. Her lower-leg problem had started as what she described as a “niggle” after reaching the final at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club earlier this month, her second WTA Tour final of the year, before medical tests showed the issue had worsened into a stress fracture. In a social media statement, Raducanu said she had “done everything possible” to try to make the start line and that medical advice was to stop pushing through.

The injury adds another interruption to a career that has repeatedly been shaped by physical setbacks at key moments. Raducanu missed a planned Wimbledon mixed-doubles appearance with Andy Murray in 2024 after wrist soreness, another reminder of how often preparation and recovery have collided with the demands of playing at home under intense scrutiny.

Wimbledon noted in its Day 1 preview that British hopes had been dented by Raducanu’s late-night withdrawal, though other home players remained in the draw. Her absence stripped the opening round of its most visible domestic storyline and left the tournament to begin without the player many had expected to carry the largest share of the British crowd’s attention.