London, June 9 (BUS) – US Open champion Emma Radocano is hoping to be fit to play at Wimbledon after being forced to withdraw from next week’s WTA 250 Championships in Birmingham due to a side strain.
A ‘strange injury’ forced Raducano, 19, to retire from her opening match at the Nottingham Open on Tuesday, but the Briton said on Wednesday she was looking forward to the rest of the grasscourt swing.
“It was disappointing to leave this week due to a side injury and unfortunately we will not be able to play in Birmingham,” Radocano said in a statement from the British Tennis Association.
“I’m looking forward to getting back on the pitch soon to enjoy the rest of the grass season.”
Radocano rose to stardom in September 2021 when she won the US Open as a qualifier, becoming the first British woman to be a Grand Slam champion since Virginia Wade in 1977.
However, she has struggled with a string of fitness issues since winning her first Grand Slam title and exiting in the second round of the French Open last month.
Wimbledon will take place from 27 June to 10 July. Raducano reached the last 16 on the major grass courts in 2021.
Women’s experiences
Jodi Murray, tennis coach and mother of three-time Grand Slam winner Andy, said Raducano needs time to mature physically and should hire experts to help her.
“What is becoming increasingly clear is that Raducanu’s body needs time to mature,” Murray wrote in a column in the Telegraph.
“If you take away from the fact that she jumped to such incredible success after winning the US Open last September, she is no different than any other young athlete in the sense that her body needs time to fill in the void, to become stronger and more resilient.
“It’s a process that simply doesn’t happen overnight, especially when the physical demands on her body are at an all-time high,” Murray said, adding that her son Andy suffered from cramping during his transition from the junior circuit to the ATP. .
She also urged Murray Raducano to make more use of women’s experiences in her health care, and highlighted the example of Chinese teen Zheng Quinwen who opened up about how menstrual cramps derailed her at the French Open.
“I wonder, how many of today’s top players are taking advantage of the peaks and lows of their cycle and customizing them to match their training and performance?” Murray said.
“How many women could feel more empowered by investing in a doctor or women’s health professional and making their entourage more female-centric?”
“…the menstrual cycle and its effect on athletic performance is an area of sports science that has been unfortunately overlooked, and it is only now that we are beginning to understand its impact on the athlete, both psychologically and physically.”