Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon plans are up in the air after she suffered a “freak” injury Tuesday at the Rothesay Open in Nottingham, England.
The second-seeded Raducanu was forced to retire trailing 4-3 in the first set after straining her side in the opening game against Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic.
“I’ve got no idea,” Raducanu, 19, answered when asked if she would be ready for Wimbledon later this month.
“First game, absolute freak. I think I pulled something. I’m not really sure what exactly happened,” said Raducanu, who couldn’t continue despite receiving treatment during a medical timeout.
Raducanu was up 3-1 before losing three quick games, including two on her serve.
“I definitely tried to get through it,” she said. “But, in the second game, I called the physio on and … she was trying to do some work. But from there, even she was like, ‘This is going to be really difficult for you to continue.'”
Raducanu is ranked No. 11 in the world. In September, she burst on the scene at the U.S. Open to become the first woman from Great Britain to win a grand slam singles title since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977.
This is the third time this year Raducanu has retired from a match due to injury, including hip and back problems.
“I’m a little bit shocked,” Golubic said. “I didn’t expect this to happen. I feel sorry for Emma. I was looking forward to a tough challenge.”
–Field Level Media