- Emma Raducanu retired from mixed doubles so she could focus on her singles glory
- Judy Murray called the decision “astonishing” but has since reversed herself
- After losing to Kiwi qualifier Lulu Sun, Raducanu was questioned about her decision
Emma Raducanu has attempted to put an end to the drama surrounding her, Andy Murray and his mother Judy after withdrawing from the mixed doubles event last week.
Playing it safe after waking up with a sore wrist, Raducanu ended her partnership with Murray and focused on her own singles career.
However, the 21-year-old’s tournament ended in a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 defeat to New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun on Sunday. She lost in the fourth round with both her ankle and back in the clutches. She was given one medical timeout after slipping badly in the deciding set on Centre Court.
Raducanu was criticized over the weekend and initially appeared to be taking offense at Judy Murray, later claiming she was being sarcastic when she set social media abuzz on Saturday by describing her retraction as “astonishing.”
The former US Open champion was quizzed about Murray’s post after her defeat to Sun, insisting she had not even seen Murray’s comments, which went viral online.
Emma Raducanu insisted she didn’t see Judy Murray’s apparent dig on social media
Judy Murray was criticised for her reaction to Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal from mixed doubles
Raducanu (right) felt some pain in her right wrist and her withdrawal cost Murray (left) a final farewell at Wimbledon, after losing earlier in the week in the men’s doubles to his brother
“I haven’t seen her response. So I don’t know,” she said. When told Murray was being sarcastic in her post, she added, “What was she being sarcastic about?
When Raducanu was again briefed on the content of the messages, he refused to criticize the legendary tennis coach, replying, “I’m sure she didn’t mean it that way.”
Raducanu also said she did not regret her decision to withdraw from the mixed doubles event, which left her with just a few hours to recover before facing Sun in the women’s singles.
“I have to put myself, my singles and my body first and I think it was the right decision. I stand by my decision,” she said. “Of course I didn’t want to take away his last match, but ultimately a lot of players in similar situations would have done the same.”
Speaking about how Murray took the news, Raducanu said: ‘(He was) obviously disappointed because it was his last game. Hopefully he plays in the Olympics and has a farewell there.
‘With every decision, people are entitled to their opinion. Of course, there was a cloud hanging over the decision, but I don’t think I would have done it differently.’
On Sunday morning, Judy Murray appeared to dismiss her criticism of Raducanu and her team and instead directed her anger at Wimbledon organizers.
The reality is that, due to the rain that caused chaos in the opening week of the tournament, the All England Club had to prioritise the scheduling of singles matches.
There is pressure to play singles first and then doubles. In addition, one of Murray-Raducanu’s opponents, Marcelo Arevalo, had just finished his men’s doubles match on Saturday morning. So they couldn’t ask him to play two matches in a row.
On Sunday morning, Judy Murray called it “sarcasm” before pointing to the schedule
Raducanu’s Wimbledon adventure came to an end on Sunday night when she lost in three sets to Lulu Sun
Another factor that complicated this mixed doubles event was that the organizers, given the huge interest, wanted to hold the tournament on a show court. As a result, the available places were limited.
Raducanu’s departure was a huge disappointment for Andy Murray, but also for the fans who queued for hours early in the morning in the hope of getting a ticket for the match.