Wimbledon 2024: Tennis Fans Unify to Deem Emma Raducanu ‘Lucky’ After Illness Ends Russian Opponent’s Hopes

“Now I want them to see I’m happy…”– said Emma Raducanu as she poured her heart out about her fanbase. The Briton has been on the receiving end of tennis fans’ criticism for quite some time as she has struggled to regain her Grand Slam winning over the years. And now, as the cogs come together, things are falling back into place. And maybe a little sprinkle of luck was all she needed at the Wimbledon. As “Somebody’s loss is somebody’s gain!” With a player’s recent withdrawal from the Grass Slam, it seems Raducanu has something to gain. And tennis fans have something to say!

Injuries or withdrawals have gained much traction during this year’s grasscourt season, with Victoria Azarenka and Aryna Sabalenka having already pulled out. Some were lucky to be back in time to play in the Wimbledon championships. The same cannot be said for Raducanu’s R1 opponent Ekaterina Alexandrova. As the Russian star had to withdraw just a few hours before her match, sports journalist Tumaini Carayol updated the tennis circuit about the recent shock.

The Russian Renata Zarazua has a reputation for her grass court prowess. Moreover, the World No.22 was anticipated to be a high wall to scale for Emma Raducanu in her first round. With over 100 ranking and no previous encounter between the two players, everyone deemed the Russian formidable for the Brit. However, every player loves a tough fight, wins the matches, and proves their mettle on the court. But luck is also a part of every game. And for tennis fans, it seems Raducanu has escaped a high chance of the first-round exit, as they called her ‘lucky’!

Withdrawal to increase Emma Raducanu’s survival chances at Wimbledon? Tennis fans thinks so

Lucky or unlucky is a question of perception. And the Briton’s form makes her a strong contender rather than a lucky survivor looking for chances to win. Raducanu recently defeated the World No. 5 Jessica Pegula on the grass court. And given the fact that the Russian was a lower-ranked player than Pegula, it would be okay to say that Raducanu would be facing ‘lucky loser’ Renata Zarazua, and not the other way around. They think, “I would say Emma is lucky here.”

This is not the first time fans have taken a dig at tennis stars for withdrawals on the grass court this season. Jannik Sinner’s girlfriend, Anna Kalinskaya, was on the receiving end after she faced 2 withdrawals in her Berlin Open journey. They even considered ‘voodoo’ the cause for her great run. And inseams some tennis fans are on the same track as Raducanu. As they said, “Ohhhh, what voodoo did the lta do here?”

Then some considered this a lucky break for the Briton, as she is looking forward to finding her rhythm on the grass courts. But wants to observe her grass season campaign on the famous Center court. They said, “That sounds like a huge lucky break for Emma. Let’s see how she deals with that on Centre Court.” While concurring with this, some fans feel that Raducanu should go for it. They said, “Getting ahead of myself, but why do I feel like Emma could low key make a run now.” 

While fans consider it lucky for Emma Raducanu, she has her form to stand by her to prove herself as a strong contender on the circuit. Would she make it to the semifinals or not? Only time will tell.