England footballer Marcus Rashford has revealed that he once went through a similar experience to Emma Raducanu who was forced to retire from Wimbledon on Monday.
The 18-year-old stunned the tournament by reaching the fourth round as a wildcard in what was only her second Tour event. Facing Ajla Tomljanović on Monday evening Raducanu took a medical timeout during the second set and was advised by a doctor to stop playing after experiencing ‘breathing difficulties.’ During an interview with the BBC the following day, the teenager admitted that ‘things caught up with her’ but she is unsure about what exactly happened to her.
“I found it very difficult to regulate my breathing. I think that it was emphasized by some very long rallies which we had toward the end of the first set, which made it tough for me to keep my composure and the breathing in check,” she said.
“I don’t know what caused it. I think that it was a combination of everything that has gone on behind the scenes in the last week, accumulation of the excitement, the buzz.”
Raducanu has rapidly risen to fame over the past week with her photo being on the front page of numerous national newspapers. Her Instagram following has increased by more than 100 times from 2000 to over 200,000. At Wimbledon she beat Vitalia Diatchenko, former French Open finalist Markéta Vondroušová and Sorana Cirstea to become the youngest British woman in the Open Era to reach the fourth round.
After issuing a statement on social media regarding her retirement, England and Manchester United star Rashford revealed that a similar thing happened to him during a national game when he was younger. He is England’s third-youngest goal scorer in history after Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen.
“It happened to me playing for the national team in U16s against Wales,” he wrote on Twitter. “I remember it to this day. No explanation for it and it never happened again. You should be very proud of yourself. The country is proud of you. Glad to read you’re feeling better. Onwards and upwards”
Replying to the comment, Raducanu said Rashford’s message ‘means a lot’ and has vowed to come back stronger following the experience. The world No.338 is a football fan herself and wore an England shirt during her BBC interview ahead of their crucial semi-final clash with Denmark in the Euros.
“I think I’ll be at home for sure just watching the game,” she said. “ It’s been a busy two weeks. I think I’ll just kick back at home for the next few days and definitely enjoy the game. It’s coming home, isn’t it?”
Following her Wimbledon run Raducanu will rise from 338 to inside the world’s top 180 in the WTA rankings next week.
