The Wimbledon Championships has lost yet another familiar face in their draw this year with Milos Raonic withdrawing due to a calf injury.
Raonic, who lost in the 2016 final to Andy Murray, said in a statement on social media that he was ‘sad and hurt’ to be pulling out of the tournament. The Canadian was also forced to miss the French Open and hasn’t played a tournament since his third round loss at the Miami Open. He has played just 11 matches so far this season across four events and has won seven of them.
“I am incredible sad and hurt that I won’t be ready to compete at Wimbledon this year,” Raonic wrote on Instagram. “It is a pinnacle in my schedule each and every year.’
“I was working hard preparing many of the recent tournaments. On the second to last day I hurt my calf. I have been working hard to heal it but had a minor set back. Therefore I won’t be ready for Wimbledon. I will be working hard to get back as soon as possible.”
Raonic has a 27-9 win-loss record at Wimbledon and is the first male player from his country to have reached the final of the Grand Slam. Besides his run in 2016, he also reached the semi-finals in 2014 and the quarter-finals on two other occasions.
The 30-year-old is currently ranked 18th in the world.
Concerns over Halep
There are also doubts over Simona Halep’s Wimbledon bid after she pulled out of a key warm-up event due to ongoing injury. Coincidentally she is also suffering from a Calf injury which also sidelined her from the French Open. The Romanian had been set to return to competitive tennis at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany. However, in a statement released on Saturday the former world No.1 said she ‘wasn’t ready’ to compete yet.
“I will keep practicing because I really want to be able to play at Wimbledon. But for now I have to take care of my body and see how the recovery is going,” Halep said in a video posted on her Twitter account.
29-year-old Halep is the reigning champion at Wimbledon after beating Serena Williams in the final back in 2019. Becoming the first player from her country to have ever won the Championships. She also reached the semi-finals back in 2014.
The casualty list
Over the past week a series of top names have withdrawn from Wimbledon due to a variety of issues. In the men’s draw, Rafael Nadal confirmed that he will not be playing because he wants to take a break from the Tour to recover his body following a demanding clay season for him. He has also withdrawn from the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
“The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy.” He said.
David Goffin is also out after suffering a nasty injury in Halle. In the first round the Belgian slipped on the grass and hurt his right ankle. Goffin’s agent had previously said the injury is ‘more serious’ than a sprained ankle and he was going to undergo a further scan to assess the damage.
As for the women’s draw, Naomi Osaka will not be playing as she continues to take a break from the sport due to personal reasons. The Japanese player pulled out of the French Open amid controversy caused by her decision to not speak with the media. Osaka later revealed that she has been suffering with depression and social anxiety since 2018. Unlike Nadal, she will play at the Olympics.
“Naomi won’t be playing Wimbledon this year. She is taking some personal time with friends and family. She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans.” A statement issued by Osaka’s team reads.
The Wimbledon Championships will start in a week on Monday.
