Tennis star Emma Raducanu left British fans disappointed on Sunday after she was forced to withdraw from her United Cup clash against Naomi Osaka at the 11th hour due to injury. And Judy Murray may have thoughts on the matter after her previous run-in with US Open-winner.
Team GB captain Tim Henman confirmed on Sunday that Raducanu was suffering from bruising in her right foot and therefore wouldn’t play. Katie Swan stepped in as the replacement as Great Britain beat Japan in her absence. It’s not the first time a team has felt somewhat let down by Raducanu pulling out of a contest late. However, this instance hasn’t been nearly as controversial as her previous withdrawal from the mixed doubles event at Wimbledon 2024. Judy appeared to take aim at Raducanu in defence of her son, Andy, when the current British No. 1 pulled out of their match due to wrist pain. The decision inadvertently brought a premature close to Murray’s iconic career at SW19, leading to backlash from fans suggesting Raducanu had prioritised her own singles campaign.
Murray Sr took to X and responded to a post by journalist Marcus Buckland, where she appeared to agree it was “astonishing” that Raducanu had abandoned her doubles commitments. This led to a mixed response among fans, some suggesting Raducanu was right to put her own career first, while others saw her actions as selfish.
Judy later sought to clarify her comment was only tongue in cheek, however. Even if that sentiment went over the heads of the masses at the time.
Not sure anyone understands sarcasm these days,” she wrote on X. “Pretty sure the scheduling (4th match court 1 with a singles following day) will have played a major part in any decision making.”
The jury is still out on whether Murray Sr was in fact being sarcastic in what looked like a genuine comment. Only she will know the true sentiment behind her remark, though it only exacerbated the focus on Raducanu’s injury-prone reputation.
The 23-year-old had a particularly troubled 2023 season, during which she had surgeries on her left ankle and both wrists. It’s resulted in a steep drop-off in the expectations once put ahead of her after winning the 2021 US Open in surprise circumstances.
Raducanu is slated to return to action on Monday against Maria Sakkari. Team GB needs a win over Greece to guarantee a spot in the next round, though Henman stated his belief in alternative Swan should Raducanu require replacing once more.
“In terms of tomorrow, it’s still a little bit up in the air,” he said on Sunday. “We’re kind of forced to put Emma on the list because if we didn’t do that, then that only gives us one option.”
He continued: “I think Katie did such a good job today. You think about her journey over the last 12, 18 months, to be out there against a Grand Slam champion on a big stage like that in a huge event representing her country, I thought her performance was brilliant. Look, I’m very happy whoever plays.
