​Emma Raducanu has twice reached the Wimbledon fourth round and, after a brief practice at the All England Club on Sunday, says she plans to play on Monday despite her participation being in serious doubt because of a leg injury. The 23-year-old, seeded 30th, is set to begin her campaign against Croatia’s Antonia Ružić on Court One at 13:00 BST, following a decision to compete after a short practice session with her team. Raducanu told reporters she would continue with treatment and would not put a probability on her chances, insisting that the plan is to play.
Concerns about her fitness have grown in recent days. She was seen wearing a protective boot on Wednesday and then missed training on Thursday and Friday due to what is believed to be a shin problem. She returned to the court on Saturday for a test, wearing support around her lower right leg and starting with a gentle hour-long session, though she cut short another practice with Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya with around 10 minutes remaining.
This marks another setback for Raducanu, whose career has been repeatedly disrupted by injuries since her 2021 US Open triumph. This season has also been affected by a viral illness that limited her to six matches from February until the Queens Club event at the start of June. Her run to the Queen’s final had raised hopes she could perform well at Wimbledon, where she had reached the fourth round in 2021 and 2024.
In a Sunday news conference at Wimbledon, Raducanu described the shin issue as a “niggle” she has managed for about a month. “I’ve been managing it with my team as best as I possibly can, exhausting all options and doing what we can,” she said, acknowledging that Queens may have placed extra load on her body. Analysts noted she is prepared to take a risk for Wimbledon, while privately she remains unsure whether the injury will permit her to face Ružić. Her practice session on Sunday showed some signs of improvement, with Raducanu appearing less tentative against hitting partner Alexis Canter, though it did not test her movement as fully as her session with Kalinskaya did. As with many British players, she is eager to compete at Wimbledon and not miss the tournament.