Emma Raducanu ‘feeling much better’, but admits ‘whole experience caught up with me’

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Emma Raducanu wipes her face

Emma Raducanu revealed she struggled with her breathing and felt dizzy during her fourth-round Wimbledon clash with Ajla Tomljanovic before being advised to retire, saying: “I think the whole experience caught up with me.”

The 18-year-old announced herself as a new star of British tennis by reaching the last 16 on her debut at the All England Club.

But she was unable to complete her match against Australian Tomljanovic on Monday evening, withdrawing after an off-court medical timeout while trailing 6-4 3-0.

Writing on Twitter, Raducanu said: “Hi guys, I wanted to let everyone know that I’m feeling much better this morning. First up I want to congratulate Ajla on an incredible performance and I’m sorry our match ended the way it did.

“I was playing the best tennis of my life in front of an amazing crowd this week and I think the whole experience caught up with me. At the end of the first set, after some super intense rallies, I started to breathe heavily and felt dizzy.

“The medical team advised me not to continue and, although it felt like the hardest thing in the world not to be able to finish my Wimbledon on the court, I was not well enough to carry on.

“I want to thank the people who have cheered me on every single match, I wanted to win so badly for you! I also want to thank the All England Club, my team, the LTA, my parents and friends.

“Last night will go a long way to helping me learn what it takes to perform at the top. I will cherish everything we have achieved together this week and come back stronger! Can’t wait to see what’s next on my journey.”

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Wimbledon organisers earlier issued a statement wishing Raducanu well and defending the scheduling of the match.

In a break with convention, the contest was the final match on Court One despite all the other women’s ties having been played earlier in the day ahead of the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

The All England Club said in a statement: “We were very sad to see Emma forced to withdraw from her match last night and wish her all the best with her recovery.

“She should be commended for the poise and maturity she has shown throughout the Wimbledon fortnight and we very much look forward to welcoming her back to Wimbledon next year and in the years to come.”

A five-set men’s match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Zverev meant Raducanu and Tomljanovic did not walk out on court until shortly before 8pm, which enabled the contest to be shown in primetime on BBC One.

The statement continued: “In respect of scheduling, as always, the scheduling of the order of play each day at the Championships is a complex operation and, although we take great care when scheduling matches and allocating courts on a daily basis, it is not an exact science.

Emma Raducanu taking strain

Emma Raducanu showed signs of distress before her retirement (John Walton/PA)

“All decisions are made with fairness and the best interests of the tournament, players, spectators and our worldwide broadcast audience at heart, but the unpredictable nature of the length of matches and the British weather can and will cause disruption to any schedule.”

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Emma Raducanu

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