Greg Rusedski’s worrying verdict on Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper after Wimbledon withdrawals
It was a disastrous opening day for British players at Wimbledon, with 10 crashing to first round defeats and Jack Draper withdrawing from the tournament after confirming his long-standing arm problem has resurfaced.
After Emma Raducanu pulled out of the tournament due to injury on Sunday, this has been the most miserable opening to Wimbledon in recent memory and former British No 1 Greg Rusedski admits questions need to be asked on a number of levels.
Raducanu admitted that her three matches in quick succession as she reached the final at the Queen’s Club earlier this month was too much for her body to withstand, after it was confirmed she has a stress fracture in her lower leg.
When asked on his Off Court with Greg Rusedski podcast whether Raducanu will ever overcome her physical problems, he offered up a response that suggested the 2021 US Open champion needs to work harder to build up her resilience.
Raducanu suggested the stress fracture was a result of her exploits at Queen’s Club, but Rusedski suggested that the timeline didn’t add up as the boot she was spotted wearing was only in evidence over the last few days.
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“She wasn’t having the boot for the stress fracture until the Monday before Wimbledon started,” said Rusedski.
“That means she had seven to ten days after Queen’s Club to get ready. So this is what makes the whole situation difficult to understand.
“You’ve got to have the preparation for the body to be able to play. I think it’s consistent work day in, day out, and then getting the volume right and then measuring the volume from practice onto the match court. And you’ve got to use a scientific formula to make this happen.
“I look at Roger Federer. Even when he used to go on holiday, he would hit tennis balls. So he’d go to the Maldives at the end of the season, he’d have a week or two with his family, but he’d still be hitting every day just lightly to keep it in, to keep his shoulder rolling over. He’d still be doing gym work. That’s what you need to do.”
Rusedski also expressed his sympathy for Draper, as his hopes of being coached at Wimbledon by two-time champion Andy Murray were dashed by injury once again.
Draper has struggled to get on court since Wimbledon a year ago due to an arm problem and after he confirmed the problem had returned, Rusedski expressed his fears.
“I know he’s tried to use some of the best people,” he stated. “So the question is how does he find a solution?
“It’s been too long. In the past, players used to take injections or quarter zone shots or something to try to be able to play, but it’s kind of finding that balance because I don’t know what it is. Changing the racket, changing the strings, finding some sort of way to play.
“When he’s fit, he can compete with the very best, as we saw last year, winning Indian Wells, finals in Madrid. But this doesn’t look good. He gets three matches in Eastbourne and then has to pull out before his first-round match against Taylor Fritz.
“Hopefully, he gets ready in time for the US Open and we don’t talk about the problems. For Jack, I just feel terribly sad because you know he’s one of those guys who’d easily be a top four player knocking on the door.
“I just wish him a speedy recovery. I just wanna see him be able to get a volume of work and it doesn’t look like it’s gonna be happening any day soon now, having had to pull out of Wimbledon already.”
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