Emma Raducanu is racing against time to regain her fitness for Wimbledon following injury disruptions to her training schedule.
On Wednesday evening, Raducanu was spotted by Clay magazine exiting the All England Club while wearing a protective boot on her right foot, having missed practice that day. Although she was slated to train at noon on Thursday, she did not practice for a second consecutive day.
Her team later confirmed that she has been dealing with a minor injury since her impressive run to the final at Queen’s Club earlier this month. Raducanu has not participated in any tournaments for the two weeks following that event.
Initially, the grass court season seemed promising for Raducanu. Her journey to the final at Queen’s Club was her second and most significant final since her US Open victory in 2021, showcasing some of her best tennis. She defeated two top-20 players, Sorana Cirstea and Iva Jovic, along the way. Despite each of her five matches being won in straight sets, Raducanu faced a demanding schedule when she had to play her quarter-final and semi-final on the same day due to rain delays.
This successful run came after a challenging first half of the season marked by persistent injury setbacks. Raducanu spent much of the off-season recovering from a foot injury and was far from her peak performance level in January. A virus in February further compounded her problems, sidelining her for two months from March to May.
Before her performance at Queen’s Club, Raducanu had not secured a match victory for three months. However, her return to the grass, her preferred surface, alongside a supportive home crowd, seemed to put her on the right track. Unfortunately, her ongoing struggles with fitness have interrupted her positive momentum ahead of Wimbledon.
Raducanu is no stranger to injury issues before Wimbledon. In 2023, she withdrew from the tournament after undergoing surgery on both of her wrists and her ankle. Additionally, she experienced back pain leading up to Wimbledon in 2024 and had similar issues in the lead-up to last year’s event.
If she can compete, Raducanu will be seeded 30 at Wimbledon this year. The draw ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday.
