It comes after Raducanu’s initial Wimbledon opponent Ekaterina Alexandrova pulled out of their contest on Monday just hours before it was scheduled to be played.
Emma Raducanu has been very open about her views on Wimbledon walkouts and pullouts after her opponent backed off during their first match of the week.
“I think it’s difficult because I’ve been on the player’s side,” the woman remarked. You constantly hope that I’ll feel much better when I wake up in the morning.
“Whether it has to do with a disease or an injury. ‘Okay, I’ll check how it is in the morning,’ you say. To be honest, I think things work well as they are. It simply means dealing with their repercussions more.” Instead, the 21-year-old took on Renata Zarazua on Center Court, winning 7-6, 6-3. As the competition moves forward, she will take on Belgian star Elise Mertens in the second round on Wednesday.
Raducanu gave a measured reaction to the topic, acknowledging that it is not ideal to have little time to prepare for a match—especially at Wimbledon, of all places. Raducanu is in the best position to offer an opinion since she has seen all sides of the dispute.
She still feels that facing a last-minute opponent is preferable than a walkover, which would have let her easily advance to the second round.
World No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka have also withdrawn from this year’s Wimbledon competition, making Alexandrova not the only female participant to do so.
The most well-known instance of a walkover in tennis history was in 2022 when Rafael Nadal was unable to match Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals, earning Kyrgios a bye to the championship match.
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