Emma Raducanu explains Wimbledon retirement saying she ‘felt dizzy’ after ‘whole experience caught up with me’

EMMA RADUCANU says she was forced to retire from Wimbledon on medical grounds after breathing heavily and feeling dizzy on court.

The 18-year-old was unable to continue her fourth-round clash against Australian Alja Tomljanovic at 6-4 3-0 down after falling ill.

Raducanu sought medical treatment inside the bowels of No1 Court but decided it was best to withdraw without completing the rest of the match.

The Bromley A-Level student banked £181,000 in prize money for reaching the third round on her debut – it was £300,000 for making the quarter-finals – and has won millions of new fans across the country.

The Kent wildcard decided to break her silence on social media today and said thank you to all those who had supported her through this extraordinary and unexpected journey.

Raducanu said: “Hi guys, I wanted to let everyone know that I am feeling much better this morning.

“First up, I want to congratulate Ajla on an incredible performance and I’m sorry our match ended the way it did.

“I was playing the best tennis of my life in front of an amazing crowd this week and I think the whole experience caught up with me.

“At the end of the first set, after some super intense rallies, I started to breathe heavily and felt dizzy.

“The medical team advised me not to continue and although it felt like the hardest thing in the world not to be able to finish my Wimbledon on the court, I want to thank the people who have cheered me on every single match.

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“I wanted to win so badly for you. I also want to thank the All England Club, my team, the LTA, my parents and friends.

“Last night will go a long way to helping me learn what it takes to perform at the top.

“I will cherish everything we have achieved together this week and come back stronger! Can’t wait to see what's next on my journey.”

Radunacu appeared on the BBC shortly after releasing her statement.

Wearing an England shirt, she added: ‘I’m very disappointed I couldn't finish the match. I really wanted to be able to compete and try my best. 

“I found it very difficult to regulate my breathing, it was emphasised by some long rallies which made it tough to keep my composure.

"I don’t know what caused it. I think it was a combination of everything that had gone on behind the scenes in the last week and a culmination of the excitement and the buzz.

"It’s a great learning experience for me going forwards, a great step forward, and now next time hopefully I will be better prepared.”

But aside from the heartbreaking end, Raducanu vowed to look back on her maiden Grand Slam appearance with fond memories - even if she had some trouble coping with the mass influx of Instagram followers from 2,000 to more than 256,000.

She added: "It has been then the best week of my life honestly, I have had the best time.

"This whole week has been absolutely incredible. I’ve never felt support like it.

"I am so, so grateful for every single person who cheered me on during the matches. 

"It’s funny because Instagram actually blocked me. I think they thought I was a robot or something – we are trying to fix it now.”

And attention will soon turn to supporting the Three Lions as they take on Denmark for a place in the Euro 2020 final tomorrow night.

The new hero of British tennis said: "I will be at home for sure, just watching the game.

"It has been a busy two weeks, I will kick back at home for the next few days and enjoy the game.

"It’s coming home isn’t it? England 2-1."

Wimbledon were criticised for putting Raducanu’s match on third on No1 Court after Felix Auger-Aliassime's four-hour marathon against Alex Zverev.

It meant Raducanu, who has little tournament experience, had to wait around for hours in the locker room and was unable to play until 8pm last night – when all the other seven quarter-finalists were back at the hotel.

Wimbledon defended their choice of scheduling, which was influenced by TV bosses.

In a statement, they said: “We were very sad to see Emma forced to withdraw from her match last night and wish her all the best with her recovery.

“She should be commended for the poise and maturity she has shown throughout the Wimbledon Fortnight and we very much look forward to welcoming her back to Wimbledon next year and in the years to come. 

“In respect of scheduling, as always, the scheduling of the order of play each day at The Championships is a complex operation, and although we take great care when scheduling matches and allocating courts on a daily basis, it is not an exact science.

“All decisions are made with fairness and the best interests of the tournament, players, spectators and our worldwide broadcast audience at heart, but the unpredictable nature of the length of matches and the British weather can and will cause disruption to any schedule.”