Emma Raducanu announcement stuns tennis world in Wimbledon bombshell

Emma Raducanu has revealed she will miss the French Open and Wimbledon after undergoing surgery on both hands and one ankle. The 2021 US Open champion has struggled with form and injuries over the last 12 months and has failed to live up to the lofty heights she set when winning her maiden grand slam in New York.

She recently withdrew from the Madrid Open before her first match, and announced on Wednesday that she had undergone surgery. The 20-year-old said she will be out of action for the next few months and won't be able to play the French Open or Wimbledon.

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"It is safe to say the last 10 months have been difficult as I dealt with a recurring injury on a bone of both hands," Raducanu wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of her in hospital after surgery. "I tried my best to manage the pain and play through it for most of this year and end of last year by reducing practice load dramatically, missing weeks of training as well as cutting last season short to try heal it.

"Unfortunately, it's not enough. I'm having a minor procedure done on both hands to resolve the issues. I'm disappointed to share that I will be out for the next few months and while I am at it will have another minor procedure that is due on my ankle.

"It pains me that I will miss the summer events and I tried to downplay the issues so I thank all my fans who continued to support me when you did not know the facts. Look forward to seeing you all back out there."

Raducanu's withdrawal from Madrid will see her fall outside the top 100 in the WTA rankings for the first time since her stunning breakthrough at Flushing Meadows in 2021. Raducanu was 18 at the time when she became the first player in tennis history to win a grand slam as a qualifier.

Emma Raducanu's tumultuous year of injuries and change

She ended her 2022 season early after sustaining a wrist injury in October, before she was forced to withdraw in Auckland early in January after hurting her ankle. She then lost to Coco Gauff in the second round at the Australian Open, and recently suffered first-round losses in Miami and Stuttgart.

The British player was also forced to retire hurt during the semi-finals of the Korea Open last September with a glute problem. That followed a first-round retirement at the Nottingham Open in the lead-up to Wimbledon, though she ultimately recovered to reach the second round of the grass-court major.

She made the first of four mid-match retirements last year while playing Daria Gavrilova in Mexico in February due to a hip issue. She retired again at the Rome Masters in May, this time with a back problem.

Raducanu has also gone through a number of different changes to her coaching staff and is currently working with her fifth different mentor. The 20-year-old is now working with Sebastien Sachs, who guided Belinda Bencic to an Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and has previously worked with former World No.1 Victoria Azarenka.

Former coach Dmitry Tursunov said there were a number of 'red flags' that he noticed during his time working with Raducanu. He said earlier this year: "We didn't agree on the terms and there were some red flags that just couldn't be ignored. Our trial period was over at the US Open but I stuck around, trying to see if there was going to be a way to impress the team. I really wanted to make it work.”

with agencies

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