Emma Raducanu 'plans to play' at Wimbledon despite ongoing injury issues

Emma Raducanu has made clear her "plans [are] to play" at Wimbledon despite ongoing issues with injury.

The British No1 cut her practice session short at the All England Club on Sunday due to concerns with a leg injury.

Raducanu starts her campaign at Wimbledon on Monday at 1pm against Croatia's Antonia Ruzic.

The 23-year-old said: "I'm going to do everything with my team in terms of treatment. The plan right now is to play."

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Concerns about her fitness have grown over the past week, being spotted wearing a protective boot on Wednesday.

She missed training on Thursday and Friday, due to what is understood to be a shin issue.

The 23-year-old returned to the court on Saturday with strapping around her lower right leg, but was forced to cut her practice session short.

Raducanu's last match came in the Queen's Club Championship final after an incredible run to reach the last two of the competition.

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Speaking about the problems she was having with her shin, the British No1 was keen to explain that it was just a "niggle".

She said: "I've been managing it. Queen's, maybe, was a lot of load for me.

"Five matches after having not competed for a while, it was just a lot.

"But I'm just managing it with my team as best as I possibly can, exhausting all options and doing what we can."

The British No1 admitted she does not expect to play deep into her thirties, with injuries being a protagonist over her career so far.

She told Grazia: "I'll probably be retiring and hopefully proud of the career I've had in tennis, but also extremely excited for another career.

"I know tennis is one chapter of my life, and it's such a huge part of my current identity, but I have a lot more than just tennis ahead of me.

"I can't wait to delve into another chapter, and to think that my life really starts in my thirties is exciting, even though I will have had a whole tennis career by then."

If Raducanu follows that timeline, she would retire at around the age of 33.

The 23-year-old will be keen to follow her success at the US Open in 2021 at Wimbledon this week, when she won as a qualifier at the age of 18.

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