Emma Raducanu ‘feeling much better’, but admits ‘whole experience caught up with me’
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.
thank you for the support❤️ pic.twitter.com/C47TTvOQK9
— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) July 6, 2021
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.”
Andy Murray hits back at Piers Morgan, Kevin Pietersen over their take on Emma Raducanu’s retirement
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.
“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.”
Follow us on Twitter @T365Official and like our Facebook page.
Latest
-
Tennis News
Final moments of the Novak Djokovic era of dominance were hard to identify
Novak Djokovic’s reign as the king of men’s tennis appeared to be set to run and run – but the mood has changed.
-
Tennis News
Juan Martin del Potro makes Novak Djokovic claim as he weighs in on GOAT debate
“I believe that if he wins a couple more Grand Slams, there will no longer be a discussion.”
-
Tennis News
Emma Raducanu set for another rankings fall – but the only way is up now
Emma Raducanu is projected to tumble down the WTA rankings when the new list is released next week.
-
Tennis News
Gael Monfils makes brutal Carlos Alcaraz admission as he describes facing the Spaniard
“I feel like I’m getting eaten up, but at the same time, I feel like I’m playing well.”
-
Tennis News
Coco Gauff makes Novak Djokovic confession and reveals she modelled key shot after the Serb
“I tried to model it after Novak Djokovic a lot. That’s where that inspiration comes from.”
-
ATP Tour
Lorenzo Musetti told what he needs to do to beat ‘inspirational’ Carlos Alcaraz
“Alcaraz can play through you, he can play around you, he can bring you in so I just don’t know where Musetti goes.”
-
Tennis News
‘Federer, Nadal, Djokovic era will never happen again’ – former star makes ‘brutal change’ claim
“The sooner we accept it, the better. And the sooner the comparisons stop, well, [the] better.”
-
Tennis Features
The 9 oldest No 1s in men’s tennis: Novak Djokovic days away from breaking Roger Federer’s record
The countdown to Novak Djokovic becoming the oldest world No 1 is on.
-
WTA Tour
Iga Swiatek stunned in Miami as Ekaterina Alexandrova achieves rare feat against the world No 1
Ekaterina Alexandrova didn’t drop serve en route to victory over Iga Swiatek.
-
ATP Tour
Carlos Alcaraz makes star-struck confession as he ‘puts on a show’ for sporting greats
Juan Martin del Potro, Neymar and Jimmy Butler watched Carlos Alcaraz’s latest Miami Open match.