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Emma Raducanu said she stands by her decision to withdraw from her Wimbledon mixed-doubles match with Andy Murray after exiting the singles tournament following a three-set defeat to qualifier Lulu Sun.
Raducanu woke up with a stiff wrist on Saturday and informed Murray that she would be prioritising her involvement in the singles, even though it denied the two-time champion a final match at the All England Club.
The 21-year-old was then knocked out in the singles in the fourth round by world number 123 Sun on Centre Court on Sunday, losing in three sets to the qualifier as she struggled with her lower back.
Despite receiving some criticism for pulling out of her match with Murray, Raducanu said she did not regret accepting the 37-year-old’s offer to play in the mixed doubles.
The former US Open champion admitted that she did not expect to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon and said it was a “no-brainer” to prioritise her fitness over allowing Murray a final farewell.
“I don’t think it was a mistake because I was feeling fine, then yesterday morning just woke up with stiffness,” Raducanu said. “I have to prioritise myself, my singles and my body.
“I think it was the right decision. I stand by the decision. Obviously it was a tough decision, though, because it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.
“I didn’t want to take his last match away from him. But at the end of the day I think a lot of the players in a similar situation would have done the same thing, prioritising their body. I still stand by making the right call.
“He was obviously disappointed because it’s his last match [at Wimbledon]. But what a champion. I think that hopefully he’ll play in the Olympics and have another farewell there.
“I think with every decision, people are entitled to their opinions. Of course, there was a bit of a cloud around it.
“I don’t think I would have done it any other way. I think in this sport especially, as an individual, you have to make your own calls and prioritise yourself. Especially with my history, I just had to put myself first.”
Raducanu missed last year’s Wimbledon after undergoing surgery on both her wrists as well as one of her ankles. The wildcard, who was the last Briton standing in the singles draw, said her sore wrist came as a result of her recent workload on grass.
“I just woke up yesterday with a bit of stiff wrist,” she said. “With the balls being quite heavy in the grass, it’s just something that I have to manage. I’ve been playing on the grass for quite a few weeks now. I think I just had to prioritise my singles.
“I’ve been managing a stiff back since yesterday. I think it was just exaggerated today, I’d say. I was feeling it during the match. I think especially on serve it was affecting me a bit.”
Raducanu, who matched her best performance at a grand slam since winning the US Open by reaching the fourth round, also said she had not discussed with Murray what they would do about their mixed-doubles tournament if she reached the second week of Wimbledon.
“I think going into the tournament, I wasn’t expecting to make fourth round. So for me it was a no-brainer. I would have loved to have played,” she added.
“He didn’t ask me, ‘If you’re still in the singles, are you going to play?’ That was never a question to be answered. Given how I woke up yesterday morning, it was for me a no-brainer.”
