Emma Raducanu has ended a Wimbledon practice session early and cancelled a planned press conference, fueling concerns about her fitness for the upcoming Championships. The British No. 1 is managing a lower leg injury and was seen with the affected area heavily strapped during her on-court activities on Saturday.
Raducanu's practice session on Saturday was her first at Wimbledon since Monday. She was scheduled to speak to the media in the afternoon but decided to delay her press conference until Sunday after cutting her second hitting session short by 10 minutes. This move suggests she is giving herself an additional 24 hours to assess the injury's development before making a decision on her participation in Monday's first-round match.
During her initial hour-long session with coach Andrew Richardson and hitting partner Alexis Canter, Raducanu's lower right leg was strapped. She received treatment from her physiotherapist, Emma Stewart, during this time but appeared to get through it. The second session, booked on Court No. 3 with No. 19 seed Anna Kalinskaya, was cut short with 10 minutes remaining when Raducanu indicated to her coach that she needed to stop. Kalinskaya reportedly offered a hug as Raducanu left the court.
Raducanu is slated to face Croatian world No. 60 Antonia Ruzic in her opening match. The current issue was reportedly exacerbated during her run to the final at Queen's Club at the beginning of June. Since then, she has not competed, withdrawing from events in Nottingham and Eastbourne. She was also observed wearing a protective boot on her right foot when leaving the All England Club on Wednesday evening.
While Raducanu's ball striking in her practice sessions did not appear to be the primary issue, she was not moving with complete freedom and seemed to avoid bending as low as usual to retrieve shots. The 23-year-old had a strong start to her grass-court season, reaching the final of the HSBC Championships at Queen's Club, where she lost to Donna Vekic. During that match, she had mentioned dealing with "a few niggles over the past few weeks."
Her season has been significantly impacted by a viral illness, more so than injuries, limiting her to only 16 matches prior to her Queen's Club performance. However, her strong showings at Queen's and the rehiring of coach Andrew Richardson, who guided her to the 2021 US Open title, had raised expectations for Wimbledon.