Emma Raducanu 'unlikely' to play Wimbledon as leading doctor speaks out on injury

Emma Raducanu is 'unlikely' to come back in time from injury to compete at Wimbledon later this month if she's suffered an 'acute abdominal strain', according to Dr Ralph Rogers. The 19-year-old was returning to the tournament where she made her WTA Tour debut just a year ago before her whirlwind rise to superstardom.

But the reigning US Open champion suffered a setback in her preparations for Wimbledon after having to retire midway through her match against Viktorija Golubic. Raducanu said after the match that it was "an absolute freak" of an injury where she felt she "pulled something".

"I cannot diagnose myself," Raducanu added. "I will get it checked out." It's the second time in a month where Raducanu has had to retire midway through a match due to injury.

Questions have now been raised on whether she will be fit enough to make her second appearance at Wimbledon in just a few weeks. Dr Rogers, a consultant in regenerative orthopaedics and sports medicine and former first-team doctor at Chelsea Football Club, told the Daily Telegraph: "The only thing I can think about, having not seen it, is that it's some sort of abdominal strain, an acute strain. Because that is how these things happen."

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When asked whether he felt Raducanu would therefore be fit to feature at Wimbledon, Dr Rogers added: "Unlikely if it is that type of injury. If it's this kind of strain, it most likely would not allow her to play, or would not allow her to play effectively."

He added: "There's a thing called the 'Iceberg Principle', which I refer to a lot when I talk to my patients. And what happens is, if you look at the tip of the iceberg just outside the water, it's like,