The 23-year-old, seeded 30th at this year’s Championships, is scheduled to begin her campaign on Court One at 13:00 BST against Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic. Her participation, however, remained uncertain just 24 hours earlier due to ongoing concerns over a suspected shin problem.
Speaking after a brief practice session at the All England Club on Sunday, Raducanu said her intention was still to compete despite the setback.
She stated, “I’m going to do everything with my team in terms of treatment,” adding that she would not assign a percentage to her chances of playing, but stressing, “The plan right now is to play.”
Interrupted Preparation and Visible Struggles
Concerns about Raducanu’s fitness intensified throughout the week after she was seen wearing a protective boot on Wednesday. She subsequently missed training sessions on Thursday and Friday, with reports indicating the issue relates to her shin.
The former US Open champion returned to the court on Saturday in an attempt to test her condition, taking part in a light hour-long hit with her team while wearing strapping on her lower right leg.
However, her preparation was again disrupted when she cut short a practice set against Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya, leaving the court with around 10 minutes remaining.
Recurring Injury Setbacks
The latest issue adds to a growing list of physical setbacks that have followed Raducanu since her breakthrough US Open triumph in 2021.
Her 2026 season has already been interrupted by a viral illness, limiting her to just six matches between early February and the start of the grass-court swing at Queen’s Club.
Despite that, her recent run to the final at Queen’s sparked renewed optimism around her Wimbledon prospects, particularly given she reached the fourth round at the All England Club in both 2021 and 2024.
“Managing It as Best as I Can” – Raducanu
Addressing her condition in a press conference on Sunday, Raducanu described the issue as a manageable but persistent concern she has been dealing with for several weeks.
She explained, “I’ve been managing it. Queen’s, maybe, was a lot of load for me. Five matches after having not competed for a while, it was just a lot.”
She added that she and her team were actively working through treatment options, saying, “I’m just managing it with my team as best as I possibly can, exhausting all options and doing what we can.”
While Raducanu remains committed to taking her place in the draw, her fitness will likely be assessed right up until match time. With Wimbledon’s opening round approaching, her participation now hinges on how her leg responds to further treatment and final warm-up preparations.