Emma Raducanu ‘managing a niggle’ ahead of Wimbledon
Emma Raducanu is due to open her Wimbledon campaign against Croatian Antonia Ruzic but fitness doubts surround the 30th seed, who could again meet Aryna Sabalenka in the third round in a repeat of last year.
Raducanu did not turn up for her scheduled practice session on Thursday having reportedly been seen wearing a protective boot the previous evening.
The British number one’s team confirmed she is managing a niggle and concerns grew when she did not appear on the practice schedule for Friday.
Raducanu is due to speak to the media at a press conference on Saturday.
Eleanor Crooks27 June 2026 08:15
Wimbledon prize money: Men’s and women’s singles
Quarter-finals – £480,000
Overall increase from 2025: 22%
Jamie Braidwood27 June 2026 08:10
Player protests come after record prize money announcement
Earlier this month, the All England Club announced record prize money for this year’s tournament, confirming their biggest ever uplift in prize money and increasing the overall prize pool by 20 per cent. Wimbledon’s prize money now stands at an overall £64.2m; the breakdown of which sees the singles champions win a record £3.6m each and first-round losers receiving £80,000.
The players have been pushing for a greater share of revenues for well over a year, and want a revenue-sharing formula to be established and written into any future prize money announcements.
The players want their share of revenues at the grand slams to reach 22 per cent, the figure they receive at some events on the ATP and WTA Tours, by 2030, and had written to Wimbledon to propose a 16 per cent cut for this year. That would have seen their prize money increase further, to £71m.
Jamie Braidwood27 June 2026 08:05
Wimbledon prize money protest explained: What do tennis players want?
Leading players at Wimbledon will stage a week of protests as the row over prize money at the grand slam tournaments continues.
Top players from the men’s and women’s tours, including defending champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, will limit their contractual media commitments to a symbolic 15 minutes per match day during the first week of the tournament. This will include post-match press conferences and interviews with TV rights holders. The action will begin at across the pre-tournament press conferences on Saturday and Sunday.
Jamie Braidwood27 June 2026 08:00
