Emma Raducanu has dealt a major blow to her home Slam by withdrawing from the 2026 Wimbledon Championships. Concerns over the Brit’s fitness had been growing after she canceled multiple practice sessions and postponed her pre-tournament press conference. When she eventually addressed the media on Sunday, June 28, Raducanu expressed her intention to compete at the grass-court Major.
However, just hours later, the 2021 US Open champion announced her withdrawal after an alarming development regarding her injury.
The Details Behind Emma Raducanu’s Leg Injury
Raducanu first raised concerns on Wednesday when she was spotted wearing an orthopedic boot on her right leg and left Aorangi Park without taking part in a practice session. She then missed the next two days of training before hitting the court with Anna Kalinskaya on Saturday. However, the Brit ended the session 10 minutes early while trailing 0-4.
Raducanu also postponed her media session until Sunday, presumably giving herself more time to decide whether to participate. When she addressed the press, the 23-year-old revealed that the niggle in her lower leg had first surfaced during the clay-court season but became a bigger issue during her campaign at the Queen’s Club Championships.
“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’ve been managing it. I think it’s something that I’d say recently has probably, after Queen’s maybe, 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. But yeah, I’m just managing it with my team as best as I possibly can, exhausting all options and doing what we can,” Raducanu said.
Nevertheless, the Brit provided an encouraging update, saying she felt significantly better on the court during her latest practice session.
“Yesterday I played for an hour before playing with Anna. I think everyone knows I took a few days off, I didn’t practice,” she said. “The first session, I was just a little bit tentative, I’d say, hesitant. Today I did feel better on the court, so that’s a positive sign.”
MORE: Emma Raducanu Postpones Press Conference As Wimbledon Concerns Rise
Why Emma Raducanu Was Willing to Risk Playing Through the Injury
Raducanu revealed her plan to compete at Wimbledon while outlining her next steps with her team, saying, “I’m going to do everything with my team in terms of treatment, and that’s the current plan. That’s the plan right now, to play.”
The 23-year-old admitted that she was uncertain whether playing would exacerbate the injury but emphasized that Wimbledon was one tournament for which she was willing to take greater risks.
“I don’t think any doctor can tell me that. I don’t think anyone can tell me I’m not going to make it worse. I just have to be aware of the risks I’m taking stepping out onto the court, weighing up if I’m willing to do that,” Raducanu said.
“I think risk is always a factor. I think a lot of players are probably managing things. I think there are certain tournaments you’re willing to do more for, put yourself on the line more for, risk more for. For me, of course, Wimbledon is that. I think I probably pushed beyond anything that I would for any other tournament. That’s for a fact. It’s just to what extent,” she added.
However, Raducanu’s plans were dashed when a scan on the eve of her opening match revealed that her niggle had developed into a stress fracture. The Brit announced on social media that she had been forced to withdraw from the grass-court Major after doctors advised her against playing through the injury.
“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,” the statement read.
Emma Raducanu said it was “difficult to process” missing the opportunity to compete in front of her home crowd at SW19. She expressed gratitude for the support and encouragement of her fans, who will be hoping to see her back in action for the North American hardcourt swing.