Wimbledon 2022: Emma Raducanu cleared, doubles champ Tara Moore provisionally suspended

Emma Raducanu is expected to be fit for Wimbledon after obtaining positive findings from a scan she received following her withdrawal from the Rothesay Open in Nottingham on Tuesday.

Raducanu withdrew from the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham, a WTA 250 event she was slated to compete in next week, on Wednesday. She is expected to heal in time to enter the Rothesay International in Eastbourne the very next week.

Also read: Alexander Zverev gets ligament surgery after French Open injury

“It was disappointing to go out this week with a side injury and unfortunately I will no longer be able to play in Birmingham,” she stated. “I’m looking forward to be back on the match court soon, though, to enjoy the rest of the grass season.”

Raducanu suffered what she called a “freak” injury, an acute side strain, during the first round of the Rothesay Open. She resigned in the first set, down 3-4 to Viktorija Golubic in her first official match back home since winning the US Open. Raducanu underwent a scan on Tuesday night and is claimed to have received reassuring results.

Raducanu will recuperate for a few days before resuming physical activities for the duration of the grass season.

Also read: Rafael Nadal to Ken Rosewall: Oldest Grand Slam winners

The main draw at Eastbourne begins on June 19, the last event week before Wimbledon, and that will be her objective for her return. Eastbourne, a WTA 500 event, has a particularly strong field, with eight of the top ten women competing.

This is the latest in a string of setbacks for Raducanu since about the end of last year, including a back injury that placed her French Open campaign in jeopardy. Raducanu was pleased with how her body held up after her second-round defeat in Paris, allowing her to enter Nottingham as a wildcard. However, she is now experiencing the familiar sense of recuperating from an injury.

Tara Moore, the British doubles champion and world number 83, has been provisionally suspended from tournament after testing positive for Nandrolone metabolites and Boldenone and its metabolite.

Moore tested positive for a sample she submitted in April while competing in the Copa Colsanitas in Bogotá, Colombia, where she made it to the final, according to the International Tennis Integrity Agency.

Also read: No practice, a sleeping foot and belief: Summing up Nadal’s French Open journey

“I have never knowingly taken a banned substance in my career,” Moore claimed. “I am investigating how the positive result could have occurred and look forward to proving that I am a clean athlete. I am deeply saddened by the provisional suspension and hope to be back on the court as soon as possible.”

Moore can request that her B sample, which was collected at the same time, be analysed, and she will have a hearing at a future date.

“We are aware of the provisional suspension. This matter is the subject of ongoing due process which will be managed independently by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). To preserve the integrity of the process the LTA will not comment further until the matter has been concluded,” the LTA said.

The 29-year-old set a singles career-high of 145 in 2017 and made three appearances in the Wimbledon singles main draw. Moore’s doubles career has taken off in the last 18 months, with Moore making the top 100 and rising to a career-high ranking of 83 with her partner and wife, Emina Bektas.

Moore and Bektas won their first-round match at the French Open in May before being forced to retire after the ITIA informed Moore of her adverse test on May 27.