Raducanu’s withdrawal and replacement
Raducanu’s withdrawal and replacement
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from Wimbledon at the last minute due to a stress fracture in her right lower leg. The injury had been managed since her run to the Queen’s Club final two weeks prior. She had initially planned to play her opening match on Court 1 against Antonia Ruzic. However, a final scan confirmed the injury, leading to her withdrawal on Sunday night. This marks her second withdrawal from her home Grand Slam in four years.
Darja Semenistaja has been confirmed as Raducanu’s replacement. The Latvian, ranked 112th in the world, was the sixth seed in qualifying and lost to Anastasia Gasanova. As a lucky loser, Semenistaja will now make her main draw debut at the tournament, facing Ruzic in the second match on Court 17.
Raducanu’s career since 2021 has been marked by a pattern of promising runs followed by injuries and withdrawals. After winning a Grand Slam at 18 as a qualifier in 2021, she has not secured another title. Her physical issues have included surgeries on both wrists and an ankle in 2023 and a bone injury in her foot. The stress fracture in her lower right leg developed before the Queen’s Club final, which she played while heavily strapped.
Day one action and notable attendees
Day one of Wimbledon features reigning champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka on Centre Court, alongside seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. British No.1 Cameron Norrie, the men’s 26th seed, is also scheduled to begin his tournament today. Another British player, Harriet Dart, will now play former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko on Court 1, replacing the originally scheduled Raducanu match.
The first result of the day saw British player Mika Stojsavljevic lose to Belinda Bencic. In other early matches, Andrey Rublev found himself a set down to Roman Safiullin, while Jessica Pegula took her first set 7-5. Rafael Jodar was leading British wildcard Felix Gill.
Celebrities were present for the opening day, with Mary Berry among those seen entering the grounds. The All England Club has also made changes to its gardens in response to rising temperatures, evolving planting schemes to be more sustainable and investing in more shade and shelter.
Queue popularity and media coverage
The queue for Wimbledon on day one was notably long, with All England Club CEO Sally Bolton stating that around 10,000 people had lined up by 8:30 am. Bolton noted that the queue has become increasingly popular since the post-Covid period, with new travel methods like Lime bikes contributing to its growth by allowing more people to access the grounds from further away. The first person in the queue arrived at 7:30 am on Saturday morning, having flown in from Thailand on Friday night.
The BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon features several new pundits this year. Eight-time major champion Andre Agassi will return for the tournament’s climax. Genie Bouchard, the 2014 Wimbledon women’s runner-up, joins the team for the first time. Laura Robson, Jamie Murray, and recently retired Kyle Edmund are also part of the new pundit lineup. John McEnroe believes Serena Williams, aged 44, is confident in her ability to win Wimbledon as she prepares for her singles return tomorrow.
The gates officially opened at 10 am, with fans having queued for hours, some even camping out for 48 hours. One such fan, 85-year-old American Richard Hess, highlighted the opportunity to get close seats at face value as a primary reason for queuing.
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Source: express.co.uk