Emma Raducanu withdrew from Wimbledon 2026 late on Sunday, 28 June, after a final scan showed a stress fracture in her lower right leg, ending her home Grand Slam before a first-round match against Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic on No 1 Court. The British No 1 had been seeded 30th and had still been planning to play earlier in the day, but medical advice changed the decision on the eve of the Championships, The WP Times reports.
The withdrawal removes one of the main British storylines from the opening day at the All England Club. Raducanu had arrived at SW19 after reaching the Queen’s Club final, a run that raised expectations after a disrupted season, but the same grass-court push increased the physical load on a leg problem that had been managed since the end of the clay swing. Wimbledon’s official schedule lists the 2026 Championships from 29 June to 12 July, with the first week built around the opening three rounds of singles.
Emma Raducanu injury update before Wimbledon 2026
Emma Raducanu said the issue had moved from a “niggle” to a stress fracture after the final scan on Sunday night. Her statement made clear that the decision was not tactical or precautionary in the ordinary sense, but a medical stop after days of trying to reach the start line.
“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 and I’ve been medically advised to stop pushing through,” Raducanu said in her withdrawal statement.
Raducanu had been due to open against Antonia Ruzic on Monday at 1pm on No 1 Court. Earlier on Sunday, she completed a lighter practice with hitting partner Alexis Canter and told reporters she was prepared to take more risk because Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, carried a different weight for her. By late evening, the scan removed that option.
The timing matters because Raducanu did not withdraw during the draw build-up, but only after a final medical check on the night before her scheduled match.
The visible warning signs had been there through the week. She was seen wearing a protective boot on Wednesday, did not train fully on Thursday and Friday, then cut short a Saturday practice session with Anna Kalinskaya while wearing strapping around the lower right leg. On Sunday morning the movement looked less restricted, but the session did not fully test match-speed loading, recovery steps or repeated defensive slides on grass.
How the Raducanu withdrawal changes the British Wimbledon story
The withdrawal leaves Wimbledon 2026 without Britain’s highest-profile women’s singles player before the tournament has properly started. Raducanu has twice reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, in 2021 and 2024, and the home crowd had expected a first-round appearance on one of the main show courts.
For the British tennis schedule, the immediate effect is simple: the women’s draw loses its seeded British No 1, while attention moves more heavily towards the remaining home players and the men’s draw. Jack Draper’s opening test against Taylor Fritz already carried weight, and Raducanu’s absence increases the focus on whether Britain can still produce a strong first week at SW19. The practical consequences are also clear:
- Raducanu’s first-round match against Antonia Ruzic is removed from the Monday programme.
- A seeded place in the women’s draw opens through withdrawal procedures.
- British media coverage shifts from match preview to injury management and recovery timeline.
- The All England Club loses a home player who would have drawn a large No 1 Court audience.
- Raducanu’s grass-court momentum from Queen’s is paused before the main event.
Her form at Queen’s had been the reason for optimism. She played five matches there and reached the final before losing to Donna Vekic, showing a cleaner rhythm on grass and more control in extended rallies than in much of her stop-start season. But she later acknowledged that the week created “a lot of load” after limited competitive tennis.
What Raducanu said and why the scan changed the decision
Raducanu’s statement framed the withdrawal around medical advice rather than pain tolerance. That distinction is central. Playing through discomfort is common in a Grand Slam; playing through a confirmed stress fracture risks turning a short-term absence into a longer rehabilitation.
“Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process,” Raducanu said after confirming her withdrawal.
The language also explains why the decision came so late. Wimbledon is the one event where a British player can be tempted to wait until the last possible hour, particularly when the first match is already assigned to a major court. Raducanu had spent the day assessing whether the leg would respond well enough to practice, treatment and reduced movement load.
The key point is not that Raducanu changed her mind; the medical information changed.
Stress fractures are different from soft-tissue tightness or routine soreness because they involve bone stress. On grass, the problem can be sharper because the player must push off low, brake suddenly and adjust to uneven bounce. For Raducanu, whose game depends on early ball-striking and aggressive court positioning, even a small loss of trust in the right leg would affect the forehand side, first-step defence and serve landing.
Emma Raducanu Wimbledon background and injury history
The Emma Raducanu injury record has become part of every major-tournament preview since her 2021 US Open title. That win as an 18-year-old qualifier remains one of the most unusual Grand Slam runs in modern tennis, but the years after New York have been shaped by physical interruptions, coaching changes and repeated attempts to rebuild the body for the tour.
In 2023 she missed Wimbledon during an eight-month layoff after surgery on both wrists and an ankle. The 2026 setback is different in detail but familiar in pattern: a positive run creates momentum, the schedule increases the physical load, and a problem forces another reset before the next major step. Reuters reported that Raducanu had also dealt with illness earlier in the 2026 season and limited match play before Queen’s.
| Season marker | What happened | Wimbledon impact |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | US Open champion as a qualifier; Wimbledon fourth round | Became a major British attraction |
| 2023 | Wrist and ankle surgeries | Missed Wimbledon |
| 2024 | Returned to Wimbledon fourth round | Restored home-court momentum |
| 2026 | Queen’s final, then lower-leg stress fracture | Withdrew before first round |
That context explains the frustration around this withdrawal. Raducanu was not arriving at Wimbledon after poor form; she was arriving after one of her best grass-court weeks in years. The injury did not interrupt a slump. It interrupted a moment when her tennis had begun to look more settled.
Wimbledon first week schedule and what happens next
The official Wimbledon schedule sets the first week around three singles rounds before the tournament moves into the second Monday. The Championships start on Monday, 29 June, and run until Sunday, 12 July. The first two days are reserved for men’s and women’s first-round matches, followed by second-round matches on Wednesday and Thursday, then third-round matches on Friday and Saturday.
| Date | Wimbledon stage | Main focus |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, 29 June | First round | Men’s and women’s singles begin |
| Tuesday, 30 June | First round | Remaining first-round singles matches |
| Wednesday, 1 July | Second round | Winners from opening matches return |
| Thursday, 2 July | Second round | Second-round singles continues |
| Friday, 3 July | Third round | Seeds face first major pressure points |
| Saturday, 4 July | Third round | Last matches before middle Sunday |
| Sunday, 5 July | Middle Sunday | Fourth-round places confirmed around the draw |
The order of play can change daily because Wimbledon releases court assignments in stages. For Monday, ATP’s published schedule had defending champion Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev among the men’s headline names, while Reuters reported Serena Williams’ Centre Court return was scheduled for Tuesday against Maya Joint. For Raducanu, the next step is medical management rather than tournament planning. A stress fracture usually requires unloading the affected area first, then a staged return through gym work, controlled hitting and match movement. No return date has been confirmed.
Why this matters for Raducanu’s ranking and season
Raducanu Wimbledon withdrawal affects more than one match. Grand Slam appearances carry ranking points, prize money and rhythm, but for Raducanu the larger issue is continuity. Her season had already been interrupted by illness, and Queen’s had offered a bridge back into regular competition. A first-round Wimbledon match against Ruzic would have been a manageable opening on paper, though not a free pass. Ruzic’s game would have forced Raducanu to move repeatedly on a surface where timing and balance matter more than raw power. With a compromised lower right leg, even a winnable draw could have become physically expensive.
The sporting calculation became unavoidable in three steps:
- Raducanu tried to continue training through a managed leg issue.
- The Queen’s workload and Wimbledon preparation increased the strain.
- The final scan showed a stress fracture, turning risk into medical advice to stop.
That sequence makes the withdrawal less surprising than the timing suggests. The public story moved quickly on Sunday night, but the physical problem had been developing for days. Wimbledon’s own social media account responded with a short message wishing her recovery after the announcement.
FAQ on Emma Raducanu and Wimbledon 2026
Why did Emma Raducanu withdraw from Wimbledon 2026?
Raducanu withdrew because a final scan showed a stress fracture in her lower right leg. She said she had tried everything to reach the start line but was medically advised not to keep pushing through.
Who was Emma Raducanu supposed to play in the first round?
She was scheduled to face Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic on Monday, 29 June, on No 1 Court. The match was due to open her Wimbledon campaign before the late withdrawal.
Was Raducanu seeded at Wimbledon?
Yes. Raducanu was seeded 30th in the women’s singles draw, which made the withdrawal more significant for the structure of the first round.
When does Wimbledon 2026 take place?
Wimbledon 2026 runs from Monday, 29 June, to Sunday, 12 July, according to the official Championships schedule. The first week covers the opening three rounds of singles.
When will Emma Raducanu play again?
No confirmed return date has been announced. The next stage depends on medical assessment, recovery from the stress fracture and whether she can resume movement training without pain.
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