British teenager Emma Raducanu has revealed it "felt like the hardest thing in the world" to abandon her Wimbledon fourth-round clash with Ajla Tomljanovic.
The 18-year-old grand slam rookie, ranked 338th in the world, pulled out of that match on Monday evening when trailing 6-4 3-0, calling for treatment initially and sobbing in her seat before retreating inside.
Now Raducanu has confirmed she was struggling with her breathing and dizziness, saying she was advised to call it a day by medical experts.
Wimbledon legend John McEnroe faced criticism for suggesting on the BBC that "it just got a little bit too much" for Raducanu.
"How much can players handle?" McEnroe asked. "It makes you look at the guys that have been around and the girls for so long – how well they can handle it. Hopefully she'll learn from this experience."
Raducanu did not mention McEnroe's comments in a statement she issued on social media, where she addressed the circumstances of her exit from the tournament.
Tomljanovic said after the match that McEnroe's remarks were "definitely harsh"; however, Raducanu appeared to share a similar verdict to the American men's tour great, saying that the Wimbledon experience "caught up with me".
"Hi guys, I wanted to let everyone know that I am feeling much better," Raducanu wrote.
"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 was not well enough to carry on."
She added: "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."
Raducanu also spoke to the BBC about the sudden end to her campaign, saying she was "glad to have recovered this quickly".
Speaking of the moment when her health took a turn for the worse on Court One, she said: "I found it very difficult to regulate my breathing. It was emphasised by some very long rallies we had towards the end of the first set, which made it tough to keep my composure and breathing in check.
"The beginning of the second set was when I struggled with it the most and when I called the trainer. I don't know what caused it. I think it was a combination of everything that has gone on behind the scenes in the last week, accumulation of the excitement, the buzz. Next time, hopefully, I'll be better prepared."
Alcaraz begins Madrid Open campaign with emphatic win
Carlos Alcaraz continued his fine record at the Madrid Open with an emphatic 6-2 6-1 victory over Alexander Shevchenko on Friday.
The two-time defending champion made it 12 straight wins at his home tournament to ensure he will face Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild in the last 32.
Alcaraz was playing his first match on the ATP Tour since March 28 after being unable to compete in the Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open due to an arm injury.
But he was still able to make a fine start to his clay-court season, breaking serve in the first game and racing to victory in only one hour and eight minutes.
Data Debrief
Sometimes the scoreline can be harsh on a beaten player, but on this occasion Alcaraz was clearly dominant, breaking the Kazakh seven times in the match and forcing 11 break-point opportunities while conceding only three for his opponent.
That allowed the Spaniard to claim a dominant victory despite being broken once in each set. He will now turn his attention to a clash with Seyboth Wild, who battled past Lorenzo Musetti with a 6-4 6-4 win.
Reigning champion Sabalenka pushed by Linette at Madrid Open
Aryna Sabalenka got her Madrid Open campaign started with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 win over Magda Linette on Friday.
Sabalenka could not quite hit her peak form against Linette, but the world number two nevertheless got the job done after going the distance.
The Belarusian is hunting a record-equalling third title in Madrid, where she is the reigning champion, though she has not won back-to-back matches at a tournament since winning the Australian Open.
"It's not about being confident," Sabalenka said. "It's about how much you're ready to do to get it. It's about the hard work and to be ready, be ready for the big fights. I feel like confidence is not going to help you in those big matches. It's about staying there and fighting for it."
Data Debrief
Sabalenka (70 per cent, 56-24) is now one of five active players since 2020 to hold a winning percentage of 70 per cent or higher at WTA-1000 events.
Iga Swiatek, Simona Halep, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula are the other players to feature on that list.
Rybakina continues clay winning streak with victory over Bronzetti
In-form Elena Rybakina has moved into the last 32 of the Madrid Open after a straight sets victory over Italian Lucia Bronzetti.
Number four seed Rybakina triumphed 6-4 6-3 on Friday and will next face either Marta Kostyuk or Mayar Sherif.
Rybakina was broken early in each set but ultimately had few problems getting over the line, converting four of her five break points to continue an impressive run of results after winning the Stuttgart Open last week.
She has now won five consecutive WTA matches and has 13 straight wins on clay courts to her name in a superb streak that started one year ago.
Data Debrief: Rybakina in elite company
Since the start of 2020, only two other players have claimed as many 13 consecutive WTA wins on clay, and they are Iga Swiatek and Simona Halep, so Rybakina is in elite company.
Rybakina's last defeat on this surface came in the 2023 edition of the Madrid Open, when she fell to Anna Kalinskaya in her first match, so this win represented a better start to her campaign in the Spanish capital.
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