Raducanu’s long-awaited homecoming was ruined by a ‘freak injury’ that forced her to retire from her first match back on British soil.
Emma Raducanu was seen wincing in pain before withdrawing from the Nottingham Open on Tuesday, sparking fears she would have to miss Wimbledon in just over a fortnight.
But it emerged yesterday that the British No 1 is expecting to be fit in time to return to SW19, where she burst on to the scene last year with a sensational tournament run.
She has been diagnosed with a side strain and a scan showed there was no long-term damage, but she has been told to rest for several days.
Pictured for the first time just hours after her ‘disappointing’ withdrawal from Tuesday’s match, the 19-year-old was seen laughing and smiling in London.
The US Open champion appeared relaxed after suffering what she described as ‘an absolute freak injury’, in marked contrast to earlier images in which she looked downcast leaving the court.
After her retirement on Tuesday, Miss Raducanu, who is from south-east London, said she had ‘no idea’ if she would be fit for Wimbledon.
But the outlook was more positive yesterday. While she will miss next week’s WTA event in Birmingham, she is likely to enter the Rothesay International in Eastbourne – the traditional warm-up event for SW19 – the following week.
Miss Raducanu said: ‘It was disappointing to go out with a side injury. I’m looking forward to being back on the match court soon, though, to enjoy the rest of the grass season.’
