Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from her mixed doubles match with Andy Murray at Wimbledon due to a wrist issue. 

The announcement comes less than 24 hours after Raducanu won her third round match in straight sets over Maria Sakkari in what was only her second win over a player currently ranked in the top 10 on grass. It is understood that the reason for her deciding not to play was ‘soreness’ in her wrist and as it currently stands she will still be playing her singles match on Sunday. 

“Unfortunately I woke up with some stiffness in my right wrist this morning, so therefore I have decided to make the very tough decision to withdraw from the mixed doubles tonight,” Raducanu said.
“I’m disappointed as I was really looking forward to playing with Andy but got to take care.”

Raducanu has previously experienced issues with her wrists before. In 2023 she underwent surgery to remove growths of bone – called carpal bosses – from her hands that were causing constant wrist pain during practice. At the time she also had ankle surgery and missed the second half of the season. 

The implications of the withdrawal means Andy Murray’s Wimbledon career has come to an end. The two-time champion has stated that this year will be his last appearance at The All England Club as a professional player before retirement. On Thursday evening he lost his opening match in the men’s doubles tournament alongside his brother Jamie. After that match, a special presentation was conducted to mark his career. 

“I would love to keep playing, but I can’t physically. It is too tough now. All of the injuries, they’ve added up. … They haven’t been insignificant. But yeah, I want to play forever,” Murray told the BBC.

“I love the sport. It’s given me so much, taught me loads of lessons over the years that I can use for the rest of my life. But yeah, I don’t want to stop, so it is hard.”

According to journalist James Gray, Murray doesn’t have the chance to re-pair with another player in the tournament as it is against official rules.

Replacing the British du in the draw will be Katie Volynets and Rajeev Ram.

Alex de Minaur has sealed his place in the last 16 at Wimbledon for the second time in his career in unfortunate circumstances. 

The world No.9 was set to take to the court on Saturday to play qualifier and former top 10 player Lucas Pouille. However, the Frenchman has been forced to pull out of the tournament due to an abdominal injury. Making it the first time in this year’s tournament that a singles player has won a match without playing a point as the result of a walkover. 

Fears about Pouille’s fitness started earlier in the week when he received medical treatment during his second round meeting against Thanasi Kokkinakis, who coincidentally retired from the third set of that encounter after slipping and injuring his knee. 

“I called the physiotherapist, he put two tapes on me. I told him to put on the thing that holds the most,” Pouille said after his match against Kokkinakis on Thursday. 
“I don’t know what I have, we’re going to do the exams and treatments to give ourselves a chance to be as good as possible and, above all, on the court on Saturday.” 

Sadly for Pouille, he wasn’t able to get fit enough in time for today’s match. 

Meanwhile, de Minaur has become the third active male player from Australia to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon on multiple occasions after Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic. Coming into this year’s draw he has experienced mixed results on the grass after winning his ninth ATP title in ‘s-Hertogenbosch before losing in the first round at Queen’s. 

“What’s driving me this Wimbledon is that I need to put up a decent performance here on the grass because I don’t want to be classified as a clay court specialist,” joked de Minaur who reached the quarter-finals of the French Open earlier this year.
“So I’m pushing hard. I’m trying to keep on going. Hopefully I can have a better result.”

The ninth seed will next play either Arthur Fils or Roman Safiullin. 

Jasmine Paolini admits she used to find it a ‘nightmare’ to play big-hitting players but now she is ready for the challenge at Wimbledon. 

The world No.7 is through to the fourth round of the grasscourt major for the first time in her career after rallying to a 7-6(4), 6-1, win over former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu. Before this season, she had never won a Tour-level match on the grass. She has now won 12 Grand Slam matches in 2024 which is the joint-highest on the WTA Tour with Coco Gauff, who will play later today. 

“I’m feeling good. Every match, it’s different,” said Paolini. 
“I think I played really good three matches, especially the second and the third one. The first one I think I was a little bit more nervous.
“I’m just thinking of trying to play point by point. But it’s not easy.”

Things will only get harder for Paolini who will next take on Madison Keys. A player that is known as a tricky opponent at major events. Illustrated by the fact she has reached a Grand Slam fourth round or better on 20 separate occasions since 2015. 

In their only previous meeting on the Tour, Keys thrashed Paolini 6-1, 6-1, with the use of her powerful hitting. However, this time round the Italian believes she is better prepared to deal with that power. 

“It was a nightmare facing those players,” Paolini said in Italian when asked about facing powerful players.
“Against everyone, you can win or lose, but at least you can play a match with them. I just couldn’t stay in the match.
“Now I’m a bit more comfortable, more confident.”

Regardless of what happens, the 28-year-old has already sealed her name in the history books by becoming the first woman from her country to reach the fourth round or better at the first three Grand Slams of a season. 

“It’s strange,” she said of the achievement. “When I was watching the girls (Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta etc) that were winning slams, making finals, I felt like they were so far from me.
“It’s something that of course I’m proud of, but it sounds a little bit strange.”