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Wimbledon's 2021 breakout star Emma Raducanu was forced to pull out after suffering on-court breathing difficulties

Sam Cooper   

Wimbledon's 2021 breakout star Emma Raducanu was forced to pull out after suffering on-court breathing difficulties
  • British wildcard Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her fourth-round match at Wimbledon.
  • Playing against Australia's Aija Tomljanovic, Raducanu withdrew after suffering breathing difficulties.
  • 18-year-old Raducanu has been the breakout star of the 2021 Championships, beating two top-50 players.

British wildcard entry Emma Raducanu's Wimbledon dream is over after she was forced to retire in her fourth-round match against Australian Aija Tomljanovic due to breathing difficulties.

Raducanu, who was playing for the first time at the championships, was trailing 4-6, 0-3 when she called her trainer onto the court.

She then left courtside to receive further treatment, but never returned and it was announced she would not be continuing. It was later confirmed by Wimbledon that she had retired due to breathing difficulties.

It brings an end to Raducanu's remarkable run which has seen her beat two top-50 players in her first appearance at a Grand Slam,

Raducanu has been the tournament's breakout star in 2021 and made an impact not seen since Coco Gauff burst onto the scene at the 2019 Championships.

She opened the tournament with a 7-6, 6-0 win over Vitalia Diatchenko before following that with a 6-2, 6-4 win against the Serbian Markéta Vondroušová.

In her third-round match, she beat Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 7-5.

The game against Tomljanovic started evenly with neither breaking each other's serve until the score reached 5-4 in the Australian's favour.

With Raducanu serving, the pair were locked at deuce but the Brit put too much power in a forehand shot and conceded the game and set to her opponent.

Towards the end of the first set, the teenager could be seen grabbing her stomach frequently and that only increased at the beginning of the second.

Her performance dropped as a result and Tomljanovic broke her opening game. The Australian then proceeded to take a 3-0 lead before Raducanu called on her trainer and later retired.

After the match was over, Tomljanovic expressed her sympathy for Raducanu, telling reporters: "I am actually shocked because Emma must be hurt if she came to the decision to retire.

"I am really sorry for her, I wish we could have finished it. I am wishing her all the best.

Not only was the 18-year-old playing in her first Wimbledon it was also her first Grand Slam and she had received the support of famous figures such as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

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