Wimbledon 2024: Emma Raducanu Lays Bare Blunt Logic Behind Controversial Wildcard Snub for Paris Olympics

Emma Raducanu’s Olympic dream is on the back burner! Declining the golden opportunity to perform at the Summer Olympics in Paris this July, the Brit has chosen to take a different route. The 21-year-old player has opted to play on clay rather than on grass as her next destination of the season remains the Wimbledon Championships. Describing her “priorities” at the moment, Raducanu, who suffered from wrist and ankle injuries, recently shed light on the reason behind her bold decision.

Emma Raducanu’s semifinal run in the Nottingham Open raised excitement among fans about her comeback to tennis. After all, fans were waiting to see the former World No. 10’s prowess on-court once again. As injuries plagued the former U.S. Open Champion (2021) for the last couple of years, her form and WTA ranking (ranked 209th player currently) both dropped. Be it her back, wrist, or ankles–surgeries, and unbearable pain compelled her to stay away from tennis for several months. Now, as she made it to the semifinals in Nottingham this year, fans were curious to know whether she would be performing in the Olympics (starting 26th July). However, even after getting a wildcard to the Games, she chose not to go along with it and focus on Wimbledon (starting 1st July ) instead. She recently explained the “stress” surrounding her decision!

Explaining the reasons behind her decision, the former British No. 1 female player said, “I just don’t think there’s any need to put additional stress on my body or any risk, especially with my history. It [clay] is more demanding on the body, for sure. It’s more physical, longer points, but I think it’s more just the change, the contrast between clay and grass and then on to the hard.” Emma Raducanu skipped this season’s French Open to take some time to do a “healthy block” before commencing her journey on grass court. The reason behind it was to keep herself fit for the entire year. 

Therefore, according to her, the Olympics which will be played at the Roland Garros(clay) this year did not seem to be a great fit for her. Instead, she opted to play on the grass courts of Wimbledon, where she has previously played twice (2021, 2022). Elaborating her choice with a tinge of optimism, she further added, “I’m very single-minded and I do things my own way and at my own time – not in a diva way – but just prioritizing my body and my health because if I’m fit, if I’m giving 100 per cent, I know great things are coming.” 

Emma Raducanu, who played in only five events in 2023 (due to her injuries), has been battling with back issues this year too. It is the reason why she pulled out of the Miami Open earlier in 2024. Although she has played in a total of nine events this season, which is more than last year, Raducanu remains cautious in her choices of tournaments. A few days ago, she further emphasized her goals of this year during public appearance.

“I’d have loved some more time on…”: Emma charted her own course ahead of French Open

While she was playing in the Nottingham Open, Emma Raducanu admitted that her wrist was in a better position than before. Therefore, she reflected on how she didn’t have to worry about whether she was hitting the ball in the right way or not. Explaining how “body-wise” she felt “healthy” and “strong”, Raducanu spoke about her priorities for the year, stating, “It’s more about being proactive and not wanting to put myself in any unnecessary situa­tions.”

Therefore, her goal was a bit different from other players. “I don’t need to rush and try to win the French Open. It wasn’t my goal this year. I had to prioritize where I wanted to target and it was just a good block for me to get some ­physical work done. I’d have loved some more time on the grass…”

While Emma Raducanu progresses in her journey this season, fans will miss her in the Olympics. Nevertheless, the tennis world waits to see her incredible prowess in the Wimbledon!