Emma Raducanu's Wimbledon hopes in doubt after injury forces her to retire from Rothesay Open in Nottingham

Emma Raducanu admits her Wimbledon dream is hanging in the balance after a "freak" injury forced her to retire against Viktorija Golubic at the LTA’s Rothesay Open Nottingham.

The reigning US Open champion, 19, conceded Tuesday's match while at 4-3 down in the first set after experiencing a sudden pain in her side during the opening game.

She now awaits a rapid diagnosis which will be critical in determining the fate of her grasscourt season.

The world No.11 said: “It was an absolute freak injury, I think.

“It was in the first game and an absolute freak - I think I pulled something and I’m not sure what exactly happened.

“I don’t know what I could have done more about it, so that’s it. I need to get a scan first - I’ll get it checked out and we’ll see from there.

“I’ve got no idea [about Wimbledon] - it could have just seized up and spasmed. I’ve got no idea and I can’t diagnose myself. I’ll get it checked out.

“I’m not thinking about next week straight away - I’m trying to keep that positive mindset that I’ve been having.

“I’ve been preparing really well for this tournament and feeling good and comfortable - I think that even when I was out there, there were signs I was pretty happy with in terms of playing aggressively.

“It’s just a shame and something random in the first game.”

Raducanu raced into the lead in Nottingham before falling behind while being visibly inhibited by the injury.

She faced a medical timeout in the first set before being forced to retire and allowing Swiss player Golubic, the world No.55, to progress to the last 16.

Raducanu relished turning out in front of a home crowd once again and hopes an upturn in fortunes can fire her back to the big time.

“I was feeling really good, to be honest, to go