British No. 1 Emma Raducanu is hopeful of being fit in time for Wimbledon despite being forced to withdraw from the Nottingham Open due to injury.
Raducanu, 19, was only seven games and 35 minutes into her match against Viktorija Golubic when a muscular injury led to her withdrawal. The U.S. Open champion had a scan on the injury and said she had "no idea" whether she'll be ready for SW19, though her latest update appeared upbeat.
"It was disappointing to go out this week with a side injury and unfortunately I will no longer be able to play in Birmingham," she said. "I’m looking forward to being back on the match court soon though to enjoy the rest of the grass season."
Raducanu advanced to the fourth round of last year's Wimbledon Championships as a wildcard, impressing in her Grand Slam debut. It wasn't long after the London contest that she secured her maiden major title in New York.
The youngster has since had to contend with a number of injury setbacks since stepping into the tennis spotlight. Despite her best efforts to power through this latest 'freak injury', Raducanu went on to say there was no way to carry on in Nottingham.
"I definitely tried to get through it," she added. "But, in the second game, I called the physio on and, the first changeover, she was trying to do some work. But, from there, even she was like, ‘This is going to be really difficult for you to continue.'
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"I clearly couldn’t serve and, because of where the location is, I kind of need it for everything, to turn, to move, to serve, to even breathe in and out. So, I just couldn’t really do anything."
This year's Wimbledon Championships get underway on June 27, giving Raducanu roughly three weeks to prepare. It's understood she plans to feature in Eastbourne the week before returning to SW19, by which point her knock will hopefully be a thing of the past.
Raducanu has now retired from three tournaments in 2022, having withdrawn from her Italian Open clash against Bianca Andreescu in early May. It's easy to forget the youngster is still developing as a pro given she already has a major to her credit, hoping to add to that haul in her home Grand Slam this month.
