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."
Jamaica to host New Zealand in Davis Cup Group II Playoffs from January 31-February 2
Jamaica will host New Zealand in the Davis Cup World Group II Playoffs from January 31-February 2 next year at the Eric Bell National Tennis Centre in Kingston.
The Jamaicans, who lost to Barbados in the World Group II Playoffs at home in February, have been given a lifeline in the form of an automatic promotion back to the Group II Playoffs.
This is due to a recent restructuring of the Davis Cup competition giving a fourth qualifying spot to the Americas region.
As a result of this, Jamaica, who were the highest ranked team who didn’t get promoted, earned the new slot.
They will now host a New Zealand side led by world number 559 Kiranpal Pannu. Jamaica could be without the services of their top player, Blaise Bicknell, who is currently injured.
Dominant Djokovic breezes past Cobolli in Shanghai
Novak Djokovic's hopes of claiming a 100th tour-level title are still alive after cruising past Flavio Cobolli at the Shanghai Masters.
After being pushed all the way by Alex Michelsen in his opener, the Serb looked much more comfortable as he triumphed 6-1 6-2 in the third round in just 64 minutes.
He got an early break to take control in the first set, racing into a 3-0 lead before Cobolli got on the board, but another three-game winning streak for Djokovic gave him the first set.
The Italian started the second set brighter, going toe to toe as they traded blows in the opening games.
However, Djokovic soon regained control, and though Cobolli managed to save five of the nine break points he faced during the match, he could do little as the 37-year-old won the final five games to progress.
Djokovic will now face Roman Safiullin in the fourth round.
Data Debrief: Cruise control
Since the format's inception in 1990, Djokovic (82.02%, 406-89) has surpassed Rafael Nadal (82.00%, 410-90) for the highest winning percentage of any player at ATP Masters 1000 events - minimum 10 matches.
And he did so in dominant fashion. He struck 11 winners in the first set (19 overall), and won 20 of his 24 first-serve points throughout the game (83%).
Gauff reassured she is moving in 'right direction' after China Open win
Coco Gauff believes she has proven to herself that she is going in the "right direction" after winning the China Open in Beijing.
Gauff triumphed 6-1 6-3 in Sunday's final, beating Karolina Muchova in just 76 minutes to claim her second title of 2024, after winning the Auckland Open in January.
She is also now the first player to win each of her first seven WTA hard-court finals in the Open Era.
However, after winning the Cincinnati Open and her maiden grand slam at the US Open last year, Gauff struggled at the start of the hard court swing this time around.
After an early exit at the Paris Olympics, she only won once across at Toronto and Cincinnati before seeing her US Open title defence ended in the last 16 by Emma Navarro.
"Everybody can do everything in practice," Gauff told WTA Insider. "This time, when the pressure is on the line, I was just trying to force myself to do things I was uncomfortable with.
"So yeah, I think the result is now reassurance that I am in the right direction.
"A lot of times people forget that I'm still in the developmental phase of my career and nothing is going to be great.
"Most of the people doing well are 25 and older in the top 10, maybe with the exception of Iga [Swiatek]. We have a long way to go, and I still have a lot that I need to work on, and I'm proud of myself thus far.
"I didn't have a complete game at 15, and I don't have one right now, but I've been on tour playing every week almost, trying to be better. I'm just super proud of that."
Gauff will be in action next at the Wuhan Open, making her first appearance at the tournament.
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