Emma Raducanu spotted on crutches with new man after banking big Wimbledon payday | Tennis | Sport

Emma Raducanu has been spotted on crutches after pulling out of Wimbledon due to a stress fracture. The British No. 1’s participation had been in doubt all weekend, as she was reportedly seen wearing a protective boot and did not practice for four days. Raducanu finally returned to training over the weekend, sporting strapping at the front of her right ankle.

On Sunday afternoon, she confirmed that she was still planning to play. But shortly after 10pm – around 15 hours before she was due to take to Court 1 against Antonia Ruzic – she announced her withdrawal.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but sadly I’ve had to withdraw from this year’s Wimbledon,” she wrote. “I’ve done everything possible to try to get to the start line tomorrow but after a final scan tonight, 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.”

Although Raducanu never took to the court, and was instead replaced by Latvian lucky loser Darja Semenistaja, who lost to Ruzic, she still received 50 per cent of first-round prize money, in accordance with Grand Slam rules regarding on-site withdrawals. It means the 30th seed received £40,000.

It is currently not known when the Brit, 23, will return to competition. But things didn’t look promising after she was photographed in The Sun using crutches while heading to a restaurant in Chelsea with her new man, John Friend, a 32-year-old PR expert.

Raducanu was first photographed with Friend earlier this month in Battersea Park, just one day after a crushing defeat in the Queen’s final. When asked about those snaps ahead of Wimbledon – and whether having a happy life off-court helped her on it – she replied: “Very cordially put.

“I would say that, look, I have great people around me. I have amazing support from my team, from my family, from my friends. It means a lot. I think especially when you’re going through setbacks, it helps. I think just being around positive people, around positive influences, it’s always going to help through tough times.”

Meanwhile, British No. 4 Francesca Jones has backed Raducanu to bounce back from this setback. Jones suffered a 6-4 6-4 defeat to Diane Parry in the first round, and touched on both Raducanu and Jack Draper’s injury woes, as Draper withdrew on Monday after reaggravating the bone bruising in his left arm.

Jones said: “I mean, she’s done it before. She’ll probably do it again. I would say the three of us have been through a lot, Jack, Emma, and I, probably the three that have had it tough over the years, but I don’t know.

“This is where you show what you’re made of, right? It’s tough. Yeah, I mean, I’d say I have spent more time off court than most people, to be honest. It’s tough. My only advice is you either commit with conviction or it’s better to just give yourself some space.”

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