By Tom Down
Emma Raducanu took to social media on Sunday night to announce her withdrawal from Wimbledon 2026 due to a stress fracture.
The British number one was set to compete against Croatia’s Antonia Ružić in the first match on Court 1 on Monday.
However, fears over Raducanu’s participation had started on Saturday when she was seen with strapping on her lower leg after cutting a training session short.
Social media announcement
Sky Sports reported on Raducanu’s social media post on Sunday evening in which she announced: “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.
“Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process.
“I look forward to seeing you when I’m back.”
Title wait continues
The only tour-level tournament Raducanu has won so far was the 2021 US Open, which she claimed as a qualifier when she was just 18 years old.
Now, with this setback, her five-year wait for another title continues.
A big cause of the injury was Raducanu’s run at the 2026 Queen’s Club Championships, where she lost to Donna Vekić in the final.
According to Sky Sports, in a press conference earlier on Sunday, Raducanu said: “Queen’s, during that week, was a lot of load for me. Five matches after having not competed for a while.
“But I’m just managing it with my team as best as I possibly can, exhausting all options and doing what we can.”
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Ongoing career struggles
Raducanu looked to be one of the most promising tennis stars after winning the US Open at such a young age, but her journey since then hasn’t been an easy one.
The stress fracture that has caused her withdrawal from this year’s Wimbledon marks the second time she’s missed the tournament in four years due to injury.
Indeed, she has suffered numerous injuries during her career and has missed many tournaments as a result.
In May, Raducanu reunited with coach Andrew Richardson, who helped her to the US Open title.
Unfortunately, the withdrawal means he won’t be able to aid her towards a Wimbledon win this year.
It could also be argued that Raducanu was just getting back to her best form before the devastating announcement.
Now, all that can be done is recovery from this latest setback, with the hopes to bounce back when she’s next fit enough to step onto the court.
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