Emma Raducanu’s hopes of playing at Wimbledon next week are shrouded in mystery, with former British No 1 Greg Rusedski serving up his verdict on what happened next.
Raducanu has been spotted by numerous sources wearing a protective boot on her foot, with her camp insisting she is expecting to play at Wimbledon as she looks to overcome what is being described as ‘a niggle’.
The British No 1 has not practiced at Wimbledon for several days, but she did include her name in the draw and is scheduled to play Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic.
Doubts over Raducanu’s participation at Wimbledon have gathered momentum after the press conference schedule for Saturday was released by the All England Club.
Now Rusedski has given his verdict on the ongoing confusion around Raducanu, as he admits he is concerned Raducanu may be forced to pull out.
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“I heard through the grapevine is precautionary, but that doesn’t look good if it’s just precautionary,” said Rusedski on his podcast.
“Fingers crossed, she’s healthy. She played so well at Queen’s Club, got to the finals, could have pushed her to a third set against Donna Vekic, but it didn’t go her way. Now it’s very concerning for Rdaucanu. Hopefully she can make it.”
Raudcanu’s devilishly difficult draw may be another factor in the decision she makes on whether to play as she could face Grand Slam champions in round two and three.
Jelena Ostapenko could be lying in wait for Raducanu if she wins her opening match, with top seed Aryna Sabalenka also potentially third round opponent.
Rusedski also gave his verdict on Sabalenka, as he suggested the world No 1 is heading into Wimbledon with questions to answer after crumbling to 6-0 defeats in the final sets of her last two tournaments.
“I was surprised when she lost to set 6-0 in the third set to Jess Pegula,” said Rusedski of a defeat she suffered in Berlin.
“That was a surprise. Leading up to a major, you can lose a tight match here or there.
“What you don’t expect is to lose matches by such a wide margin and that’s will be a concern.
Kevin (03:22.786)
There’s definitely an issue there for the world number one as Wimbledon approaches. I’d be very concerned about her under pressure. I think she’s she’s not quite there at the moment, is she?
“I think mentally, you know, it hurt her what happened in the French Open. She said, ‘I want to quit tennis’, and even though she didn’t mean it, it looks like she’s lost confidence in herself.
“The biggest fear that most players had when she were they were playing against her was her power and the way she went after it at the big moments. And all of a sudden, that fear factor is starting to go a little bit away, and players aren’t as fearful.
“She’s not going after it as much in the big moments, but you can never discount a great champion.”
