Emma Raducanu has been pictured on crutches after withdrawing from Wimbledon with a stress fracture.
The Briton, 23, was photographed in west London with John Friend, 32, a “PR expert” with whom she has been romantically linked in recent weeks.
Raducanu was still able to smile as she headed out for an evening meal in Chelsea, with the couple pictured together near The Hunter’s Moon pub on Fulham Road.
Raducanu pulled out of Wimbledon 15 hours before she was scheduled to play Antonia Ruzic in the first round of the women’s singles on Monday.
Confirming her withdrawal, she wrote on Instagram: “Hi everyone, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but sadly I’ve had to withdraw from this year’s Wimbledon.
“I’ve done everything possible to try to get to the start line but after a final scan, the niggle I’ve been managing has developed into a stress fracture.
“And I’ve been medically advised to stop pushing through.
“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.”
During a pre-tournament press conference on Sunday, Raducanu said she had developed the beginnings of this problem during “the back-end of the clay-court season”.
Having skipped training for four days between Tuesday and Friday to rest the problem area, she spent the best part of three hours on the practice court over the weekend in a last-ditch attempt to prove her fitness for Wimbledon.
Earlier in the day, she had told reporters that she was prepared to risk further damage to her body because of the importance of this event. “There are certain tournaments you’re willing to do more for, put yourself on the line more for, risk more for,” Raducanu explained. “For me, of course, Wimbledon is that.
“I don’t think any doctor can tell me I’m not going to make it worse. I just have to be aware of the risks I’m taking stepping out on to the court, weighing up if I’m willing to do that.”
Even though Raducanu has suffered a variety of niggling injuries and illnesses over the past three years, a stress fracture represents her most serious setback since the surgery she had on both wrists and one ankle in May 2023.
The recovery time is estimated as somewhere between six and 12 weeks, meaning she would be unlikely to recover in time for the US Open – or the Billie Jean King Cup finals in Shenzhen that follow swiftly.
With only 21 matches under her belt this season, because of another lengthy absence caused by a respiratory virus and its aftermath, 2026 is now likely to be another season where she fails to play more than 30-odd matches – a regular theme since she won the US Open in 2021.
