Emma Raducanu fit and ready to go at Wimbledon after injury doubts

Emma Raducanu says she is “ready to go” as she puts in the finishing touches before her first Wimbledon as a grand slam champion and the leading British player.

“I’m very much looking forward to being back here at Wimbledon,” said Raducanu. “I think that it’s the most special place to be playing tennis. Just a very inspiring and motivating place to be. Definitely looking forward to stepping out on court on Monday. Yeah, ready to go.”

Raducanu will face the Belgian Alison van Uytvanck in the second match on Centre Court on Monday, marking her first time on Wimbledon’s biggest court. Since the very first game of her opening match of the grass season, when Raducanu suffered a side strain that forced her to retire in Nottingham, the 19-year-old has been trying to recover.

“Definitely there were moments earlier in the week we weren’t really sure,” she said. “We were sort of going to see how the week goes. But it went pretty well. And, yeah, now it’s full steam ahead. Everyone’s really looking forward to it. Yeah, we’re all ready.”

After cancelling a practice session with Garbiñe Muguruza on Friday, Raducanu said she and her team “just had to react to the situation” and she noted that she had trained earlier: “We all collectively thought it was the best decision to pass on the afternoon session as well, and stay fresh and ready to go.”

Although her preparation has been dominated by injury speculation, Raducanu is returning one year on from her breakthrough run to the fourth round after receiving a late wildcard. “This year I get such a special feeling walking around the grounds,” she said. “I definitely feel that people are behind me. Even from some of the people working on the tournament, they’re like: ‘You got this.’ Just