Emma Raducanu addresses shocking Wimbledon retirement
British teenager Emma Raducanu began this year's Wimbledon Championships ranked No. 338 in the world but became arguably the face of the women's draw by notching three consecutive victories. However, the 18-year-old shockingly retired from her fourth-round match against Ajla Tomljanovic on Monday after she appeared to deal with breathing issues.
On Tuesday, Raducanu thanked supporters for their well-wishes and explained what happened on the court via a message she shared on social media platforms.
According to Tom Hamilton of ESPN, Raducanu also told the BBC her match being delayed until the late-evening hours did not impact her.
"I think I was prepared to go out there whatever time of day was required," she said. "I was so excited. I didn't find a problem with it at all. Just to have the opportunity to go on Court 1 was something I cherished, and there was no problem."
Raducanu continued: "I don't know what caused it. It was a combination of everything that has gone on behind the scenes in the last week and the culmination of the excitement and buzz, and it's a great learning experience for me going forward. Hopefully next time I'll be better prepared."
All-time tennis great John McEnroe has received widespread criticism after he said Monday night he believed the occasion "just got a little bit too much" for Raducanu.
Raducanu dropped the first set versus Tomljanovic and was down 0-3 in the second when she called for a medical timeout. Tomljanovic was awarded the victory shortly after but then fell to world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty on Tuesday.
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