‘It’s so devastating’: Wimbledon bloodbath leaves UK in shock
English sport fans had little to cheer about on Tuesday as the nation’s cricketers collapsed to series defeat against New Zealand, and home grown players had the worst day in the Open era at Wimbledon.
Ten of the 11 home players in action lost their first-round matches, with 26th seed and British number one Brian Norrie going down 7-6(7), 2-6, 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-7(4-10) to American qualifier Michael Zheng, after Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu left the draw without lifting a racquet or hitting a ball.
Emma Raducanu withdrew from Wimbledon. Getty
An 11th, Jack Pinnington Jones, was two sets down and trailing 4-3 in the third against American Brandon Nakashima when play was suspended because of bad light.
With names like Draper and Raducanu out, the Brits went into the tournament with Jan Choinski – the world No.100 – as the British No.2.
A scan on Raducanu’s injured right leg the night before her first round match revealed it had developed into a stress fracture, forcing her out.
“It’s so devastating for a player to have to withdraw the night before a Grand Slam and particularly for your home grand slam,” said Sally Bolton, the All England Club chief executive. “I’m terribly sorry for Emma. ... It is devastating.”
Raducanu’s withdrawal was the biggest blow to organisers, especially as she had played some of her best tennis since her US Open triumph in 2021 in reaching the final at the Queen’s Club grass-court tournament this month.
Over the past two years, Raducanu has officially recorded nine withdrawals at tournaments due to persistent struggles with injuries and illness.
“Does Emma need to change anything in her tennis game? Absolutely not. Does she need to become physically more resilient? 100 per cent yes,” former British player Tim Henman told The Daily Mail.
“She played one week on grass and then she misses the next week, and then all of a sudden I hear she hasn’t been practising this week going into Wimbledon. So it’s far from ideal. And to me, that is physical resilience.”
He added: “Emma needs to become physically stronger. That will allow her to increase the intensity of her game, play more matches in a row, and also improve in power, speed of movement, and endurance.”
To add further pain, the two lucky losers installed in Raducanu’s and Draper’s place also lost.
Cameron Norrie after his loss to Zheng. AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
The previous record for losses on the opening day for the Brits was nine defeats from 11 matches, which happened twice, between 2005 and 2007.
It stands alongside their performance in 1988, when 16 British players were eliminated in two days.
Adding to their woes, a British player has not qualified past the third round of a grand slam since Wimbledon last year.
The record for British players in slams during that time stands at 12-31.
“There have been a lot of painful moments in the last 12 months, but this one is definitely the absolute worst,” Draper, who had been set to play Taylor Fritz on Centre Court in the first round, said in a statement.
Draper’s withdrawal also scuppered a return to the All England Club for two-time champion Andy Murray, who ended a 77-year wait for a British men’s champion when he won the tournament in 2013. Murray was set to be in Draper’s box during matches throughout the tournament after agreeing to coach him through the grass-court season.
The Brits will have a chance to better their record, when eight local players take to the court, including Katie Boulter, on day two.
