TENNIS: Raducanu withdraws with leg injury on eve of Wimbledon

British number one Emma Raducanu withdrew from Wimbledon on Sunday, the eve of her first-round match, as a result of a stress fracture in her lower right leg.

The 23-year-old former U.S. Open champion posted a message on Instagram announcing her decision.

"I've done everything possible to try to get to the start line tomorrow but after a final scan tonight, the niggle I've been managing has developed into a stress fracture," the 30th seed said. "I've been medically advised to stop pushing through."

Raducanu had been scheduled to face Croatia's Antonia Ruzic on Court One on Monday.

She had told reporters earlier on Sunday that she planned to play.

Recently reunited with coach Andrew Richardson, Raducanu reached the final at Queen's Club two weeks ago but withdrew from the Nottingham Open, raising fitness concerns.

She had also been unable to train last week and cut short a practice session on Saturday due to lower-leg discomfort.

"I have a lower-leg niggle that I've been dealing with since before Queen's, actually from the back end of the clay court season. I've been managing it," Raducanu said.

Since her breakthrough 2021 U.S. Open title as a teenage qualifier, Raducanu's career has been disrupted by injuries and illness, alongside frequent coaching changes. Earlier this season she struggled with a post-viral illness and a back problem before losing in the first round at the French Open.

Raducanu missed both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2023 after procedures on her hands and ankle, and also ended last season early due to illness.

The Wimbledon tournament runs from June 29 to July 12.

-Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru/Alan Baldwin in London; Editing by Alexander Smith and Christian Radnedge/Reuters