Emma Raducanu meets English football legend Gary Linekar ahead of Wimbledon campaign
Emma Raducanu, who is aiming to overcome her injury-related problems ahead of Wimbledon, bumped into another British icon - football legend Gary Linekar at SW19.
Raducanu, who touched down at Wimbledon on Monday, is the youngest British woman to have made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon in the Open era, which she achieved last year.
"Just bumped into the brilliant @EmmaRaducanu. So as it’s #NationalSelfieDay here you go," Linekar tweeted.
Just bumped into the brilliant @EmmaRaducanu. So as it’s #NationalSelfieDay here you go: https://t.co/GLuDnm4bWZ
Linekar, who won the Golden Boot at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, is the only player to have been the top scorer with three English clubs - Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Everton.
Raducanu became a British icon after winning the US Open last year, thus becoming the first player from from her country to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade, who triumphed at Wimbledon in 1977.
The 19-year-old also became the first woman to win the US Open title without dropping a set since Serena Williams in 2014 and the first-ever qualifier to win a Grand Slam in the Open era.
HELLO I JUST MET EMMA RADUCANU IN THE MIDDLE OF OXFORD ST SHES SO NICE https://t.co/vXy4ZJt0GY
Earlier this month, the teenager had to retire before the completion of her first-round match at the Nottingham Open. Raducanu, who has been seeded tenth at Wimbledon, also missed out on playing the Eastbourne International on account of the injury she picked up at Nottingham.
The Canadian-born player's 2021 Wimbledon campaign was cut short as she experienced breathing problems during her fourth-round match against Ajla Tomljanovic.
Emma Raducanu's physical ailments are aggravated by stress, says British mind coach Don Macpherson
The mid-match retirement at SW19 was followed by several others as Emma Raducanu has struggled with her injuries in recent times. A back strain had forced the youngster out of the Italian Open while a hip injury was to blame for not playing at Guadalajara.
British mind coach Don Macpherson recently stated that Raducanu's stress was aggravating her physical ailments.
“I’m not saying she is making these injuries up – they are real for sure – but they are almost certainly also anxiety-related. Pressure is a privilege but at the moment it isn’t for [Emma] Raducanu. She will say everything is cool and I’m sure she genuinely believes that, but I have studied body language and I would say she doesn’t look relaxed, she seems to have something on her mind," Macpherson said.
"To me it looks as though her mind does not trust her body, and when the mind and body are not in sync it is impossible to be at your very best, whatever the challenge," added Macpherson.