Tennis player Emma Raducanu ended her training session for Wimbledon early and subsequently canceled a scheduled press conference, intensifying fears about her physical condition.
The British athlete, the main name in local tennis, once again raised concerns about a possible injury, after being caught wearing an orthopedic boot on Wednesday night.
After two days without activities on Thursday and Friday, Raducanu returned to the courts on Saturday, carrying out a two-hour training session. The session initially took place at Aorangi Park, at the All England Club, and then on Court Three, where she played with Russian tennis player Anna Kalinskaya.
The player started training using a band that covered her right ankle and part of her lower leg, but managed to complete the first hour and a half of the activity without any complications.
However, it was noted that she predominantly attacked the ball from the same area of the court, and the situation became worrying as soon as she began to effectively compete for points against Kalinskaya.
The tennis player faced problems with her serve, ending up at a 4-0 disadvantage against the Russian athlete, currently ranked 20th in the world. His stance and conversations with coach Andrew Richardson signaled clear discontent.
During the next game, Raducanu chose to end the session abruptly, ten minutes before the scheduled time. After greeting Kalinskaya with a hug, she quickly left the court.
At 23 years old, Raducanu was scheduled for a press conference on Saturday afternoon, however, twenty minutes after leaving training, it was announced that his statement would be postponed until Sunday.
Uncertainty now hangs over her participation in the opening match, scheduled for 1 pm on Monday, against Croatian Antonia Ruzic. There are serious doubts whether she will be able to take the court.
If the tennis player needs to withdraw from the competition, it will be another obstacle in her season already marked by irregularities, including a two-and-a-half-month absence in the spring due to a post-viral illness.
There was a sign of recent recovery in his career: after rehiring Andrew Richardson, the coach with whom he won the US Open, Raducanu reached the Queen’s Club final just two weeks ago, showing a moment of ascension that is now overshadowed by new concerns.
However, since the final at Queen’s Club, Raducanu has not played any more matches, which reignites discussions about his susceptibility to injuries and the constant physical fragility that has marked his career.