There has been a worrying development for fans of Emma Raducanu after the Briton canceled her practice session ahead of her opening match at Wimbledon on Monday against Alison Van Uytvanck.
Expectations of Raducanu were high this season after a memorable run to the US Open title last year. She won at Flushing Meadows as a qualifier, without dropping a set, and as an 18-year-old.
Unfortunately, Raducanu has endured a tough 2022 so far. In truth, many in the media expected too much of the teenager, who would always experience some challenging moments so early into her development.
Raducanu, who reached the fourth round of Wimbledon last year, was hoping to kickstart her year during the grass-court season. It is a surface that suits her clean-hitting style of tennis well.
However, Raducanu sustained a rib injury in the opening stages of her first-round match at the Nottingham Open against Viktorija Golubic. She eventually retired at 3-4 down in the opening set.
The 19-year-old has not played since then, hoping that resting the issue would help her be fit for Wimbledon. But the latest news has cast doubt on whether Raducanu will feature at SW19.
Tennis journalist Stuart Fraser reported that Raducanu was due to practice with 2017 Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza at 2:15 p.m. on Friday, but this never took place.
Fraser tweeted he saw Raducanu heading in the opposite direction a few minutes before the practice was due. He also mentioned the reigning US Open champion looked rather downbeat.
Raducanu's fans should not panic yet. It is possible that the Briton is simply being cautious after her injury to give herself the best possible chance of being as fit as possible for Wimbledon.
Hopefully, this story does not indicate a severe issue. Naomi Osaka and Madison Keys have already withdrawn from Wimbledon, and the organizers will be desperate not to lose a player of Raducanu's caliber at her home Grand Slam.
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