"Disappointed" - Emma Raducanu, after lamenting 'not ideal' Wimbledon scheduling, withdraws from mixed doubles to bring Andy Murray's campaign to end
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the mixed doubles event at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, bringing an anti-climactic end to Andy Murray's final campaign at the tournament. The duo were set to play together for the first time this year at SW19, and Murray will have to contend with only a men's doubles appearance at Wimbledon for the year.
Raducanu is in action at the singles event as well, where she has reached the fourth round. The Brit played her third-round match against Maria Sakkari yesterday (Friday), beating the World No. 9 in straight sets. Her mixed doubles opener was scheduled for today later in the day, with Murray and her set to take on Marcelo Arevalo and Zhang Shuai.
However, Raducanu appears to have woken up with some stiffness in her wrist on Saturday morning, forcing her to make the decision that would be best for her. Speaking to British media about the decision, the former US Open champion emphasized that she was 'gutted' as well, as she was looking forward to sharing the court with an idol of hers.
"Unfortunately I woke up with some stiffness in my right wrist this morning, so therefore I have decided to make the very tough decision to withdraw from the mixed doubles tonight. I’m disappointed as I was really looking forward to playing with Andy but got to take care," Raducanu said.
It should be noted that in her press conference after the win over Sakkari, Emma Raducanu had lamented the scheduling decision to put her late at night on Saturday, saying that it was 'not ideal.'
"Yeah, I know. The scheduling of that was not ideal. I mean, it's just an amazing opportunity to be able to play with him. It's something that I'm going to cherish. I just came off court and found out myself [about the timing of her mixed doubles match]," Raducanu had said.
As for Murray, Wimbledon had already celebrated his farewell with an emotional ceremony at SW19 after his men's doubles opener, where he had partnered with his brother Jamie.
The duo lost in straight sets to John Peers and Rinky Hijikata, following which the former World No. 1 was joined on Center Court by several of his colleagues, including Novak Djokovic, Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie and Iga Swiatek. Murray addressed the Wimbledon fans and spoke at length about his career and fond memories of his times at the tournament, with a farewell video being dedicated to the two-time champion.
Initially, Andy Murray was set to appear in singles action as well, but pulled out at the last minute citing a lack of fitness. The Brit underwent spinal cord surgery just ahead of Wimbledon, and could not recover in time for the event.
With regards to whether Murray can still play mixed doubles with a new partner, Wimbledon rules prohibit re-pairing once the doubles draw is made, meaning Murray has indeed made his final appearance at SW19 as a professional tennis player.
Emma Raducanu set for Lulu Sun clash in Wimbledon singles fourth-round action
Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu will back on the court at Wimbledon on Sunday, when she will take on qualifier Lulu Sun in the fourth round of the women's singles event. A win there would pit her against either Paula Badosa or Donna Vekic in the quarterfinals.
This is the farthest Raducanu has gone at Wimbledon, equaling her run in 2021. This is also the third time the Brit has reached the second week at a Grand Slam, having done so at the 2021 US Open as well.