Emma Raducanu makes ‘very tough’ Andy Murray Wimbledon mixed doubles decision
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from her mixed doubles campaign with Andy Murray, bringing an end to the three-time Grand Slam winner’s Wimbledon career.
The 2021 US Open winner revealed she took the “very tough” decision after waking up with stiffness in her right wrist and expressed her disappointment at pulling out.
Raducanu and Murray were set to team up as a highly-anticipated mixed doubles pairing at Wimbledon and were due to play their first match against Marcelo Arevalo and Zhang Shuai on Saturday.
The news means Murray has played the last match of his career at Wimbledon after he announced this would be his final appearance at the grass-court Grand Slam.
In a statement, Raducanu said: “Unfortunately, I woke up with some stiffness in my right wrist, so therefore I have decided to make the very tough decision to withdraw from the mixed doubles tonight.
“I’m disappointed as I was really looking forward to playing with Andy, but got to take care.”
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Raducanu is still competing in the women’s singles tournament and has played superb tennis to reach the fourth round without dropping a set.
The 21-year-old earned a convincing 6-2, 6-3 triumph against world No 9 Maria Sakkari in the third round on Friday and has a great opportunity to progress further in an open section of the draw.
The Brit will face 123rd-ranked qualifier Lula Sun in the last 16 on Monday, before a potential quarter-final matchup with either Paula Badosa or Donna Vekic, who are both unseeded.
The decision to withdraw is understandable given Raducanu’s singles aspirations and injury history, but it is, nonetheless, disappointing to fans who had hoped to see the two stars of British tennis team up.
It may be tougher to take for Murray, who was hoping to play at least one more match at Wimbledon before calling time on his glittering career.
Murray, who plans to play the Paris Olympics and retire later this year, pulled out of the Wimbledon singles event and competed in men’s doubles with his brother Jamie Murray.
It was the first time the Murray brothers joined forces as a doubles team at Wimbledon and they were beaten by the Australian duo of Rinky Hijikata and John Peers on Thursday.
The 37-year-old British great received an emotional on-court tribute after the opening round men’s doubles encounter.
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