Raducanu Intends to Play at Wimbledon Despite Injury Concerns
British tennis player Emma Raducanu has expressed her intention to participate in Wimbledon starting Monday, despite doubts surrounding her fitness due to a leg injury.
At 23 years old, Raducanu made the decision to compete following a brief practice session at the All England Club on Sunday.
Seeded 30th in the tournament, Raducanu is scheduled to begin her Wimbledon campaign against Croatia's Antonia Ruzic on Court One at 13:00 BST.
"I'm going to do everything with my team in terms of treatment," Raducanu stated, refraining from quantifying her chances of playing.
"The plan right now is to play."
Concerns Over Fitness and Injury Progress
Concerns regarding the British number one's physical condition intensified over the previous week. Raducanu was seen wearing a protective boot on Wednesday and was unable to train on Thursday and Friday due to what is believed to be a shin injury.
The 2021 US Open champion returned to court on Saturday to assess her fitness. Wearing strapping around her lower right leg, she began with a gentle, hour-long session alongside her team.
However, she curtailed another practice session with Russia's Anna Kalinskaya, stopping with 10 minutes remaining during a practice set.
Career Setbacks and Recent Performance
This injury represents another challenge in Raducanu's career, which has been affected by multiple injury issues since her breakthrough US Open victory in New York five years ago.
This season, her schedule was disrupted by a viral illness, limiting her to only six matches from early February until the start of the Queen's Club tournament earlier this month.
Raducanu's strong performance at Queen's, reaching the final, boosted her confidence and optimism for a successful Wimbledon, where she previously reached the fourth round in both 2021 and 2024.
Managing the Shin Injury
During a Wimbledon news conference on Sunday, Raducanu described the shin problem as a "niggle" she has been managing for approximately a month.
"I've been managing it. Queen's, maybe, was a lot of load for me. Five matches after having not competed for a while, it was just a lot."
"But I'm just managing it with my team as best as I possibly can, exhausting all options and doing what we can."
Additional Information
Raducanu has twice reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, highlighting her potential at the tournament despite recent setbacks.
Her upcoming match against Antonia Ruzic will be closely watched as she aims to overcome her injury and continue her progress in the competition.
