Not a good sign: Emma Raducanu spotted on crutches mere days after Wimbledon stress fracture diagnosis

Tuesday, 30 June 2026 at 19:30

Emma Raducanu has been spotted out and about in London on crutches mere days after pulling out of Wimbledon due to a stress fracture.

Raducanu's entry into the tournament was a bit of a close guarded secret in that no-one particularly knew what was going to happen over the weekend as she didn't practice.

She wore a protective boot and was not seen on court for four days until she returned with Anna Kalinskaya late last week. But she was seen sporting strapping at the front of her right ankle.

On Sunday afternoon, she confirmed that she was still planning to play the tournament. But shortly after 10pm, she announced her withdrawal. She had previously shifted her media commitments which in itself is a move she did before in Rome before she then pulled out, aiming to give herself as much time as possible before pulling the trigger.

This also left Wimbledon a bit short changed as they had planned to open up on Court 1 as the top British WTA star. But she was then replaced by Harriet Dart who gave it a good go but was defeated by Jelena Ostapenko. This on an opening day which was the worst on memory for British players with more than 10 going out.

Swan and Fearnley provide Brit joy

Only Katie Swan and Jacob Fearnley provided any respite both winning games on Day Two. But other than that, it was almost a Brit shutout with Katie Boulter also losing to rising Italian American Tyra Grant.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but sadly I’ve had to withdraw from this year’s Wimbledon,” said Raducanu. “I’ve done everything possible to try to get to the start line tomorrow but after a final scan tonight, the niggle I’ve been managing has developed into a stress fracture and I’ve been medically advised to stop pushing through.

Emma Raducanu has been spotted on crutches just days after being forced to pull out of Wimbledon! 🤕

Speedy recovery, Emma! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ny8uHmdUmD
— Sportskeeda Tennis (@SK__Tennis) June 30, 2026

“Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process. I want to thank you all for your support and encouragement. Especially at a time like this, it is invaluable. I look forward to seeing you when I’m back.”

She was pictured heading to a restaurant on crutches with her new boyfriend, John Friend who she was seen in an embrace with in a park after Queen's where she reached the final. He is a 32-year-old PR expert.

As expected, she was asked about that. "“I would say that, look, I have great people around me. I have amazing support from my team, from my family, from my friends. It means a lot. I think especially when you're going through setbacks, it helps. I think just being around positive people, around positive influences, it's always going to help through tough times.”

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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