Wimbledon injury crisis: Emma Raducanu, Madison Keys, Grigor Dimitrov among players injured at SW19 amid concerns over playing conditions

The Wimbledon injury crisis continued on Day seven as some of the top-ranked stars had to retire due to injury. Court No. 1 witnessed two retirements in a row with Madison Keys and Grigor Dimitrov suffering injuries in their respective matches. Brit star Emma Raducanu also underwent treatment on her back before eventually losing to qualifier Lulu Sun in three sets.

The cold, rainy, and overcast conditions at the SW19 have made it a tough place to compete for the players, raising concerns about the indoor grass being a dangerous surface to play on. Earlier, Polish star Hubert Hurkacz retired midway through his match due to an injury and now, with another three injury withdrawals in a day, questions about the surface at Wimbledon are back in the limelight.

Wimbledon playing conditions make headlines again as more players retire due to injury

The Wimbledon 2024 has already seen more than five withdrawals due to injury. The weather forecast throughout the two weeks at the SW19 has been overcast with rain expected on most days. Despite the retractable roofs at the Center Court and Court 1, players have struggled to adjust to the requirements of the surface.

Aslan Karatsev was the first player to withdraw at Wimbledon after he suffered an injury during his second-round match against Karen Khachanov. Later, Polish star Hubert Hurkacz injured his knee, as he dived for a ball during his match against Arthur Fils. The seventh seed was on the verge of making an incredible comeback having lost the first two sets, but winning the third and leading in the fourth. However, his afternoon came to a premature end after his injury.

Court No. 1 witnessed some emotional scenes during Sunday's match between Jasmine Paolini and Madison Keys. Keys was set to serve for the match during the third set, however, an ill-timed hamstring injury meant the American could not move at all. The No. 13 seed was in tears as she tried to fight for the match before eventually retiring with the third set at 5-5.

Grigor Dimitrov and Daniil Medvedev took to the court after Madison Keys and their match had a similar ending. Dimitrov slipped during the first set, injuring his knee in the process. Despite a medical timeout, the Bulgarian could not continue and retired from the match during the first set.

Emma Raducanu too suffered a similar fate as the Brit star slipped while sliding for a ball. The 21-year-old called for a medical time-out and continued the match but could not move as well as she did before. Raducanu eventually lost the match 2-6, 7-5, 2-6.

Amidst the injury withdrawals, the indoor grass at Wimbledon has come under criticism. Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg on his X handle, opined that indoor grass is the most dangerous surface for tennis players.

"Indoor grass remains the most dangerous surface in tennis, as the last few minutes have shown once again," he wrote.

Many tennis fans agreed with Rothenberg's belief and echoed his criticism of the grass conditions. Responding to his tweet, the fans wrote,

"Humidity levels have been high for all courts, but must be really high under closed roofs. Dew point reached but not realized, unlike late evening matches. Rafa really struggled under SW19 roofs," a fan wrote.

"It's far and away the most nostalgic when it comes to tennis, BUT it's not a surface suitable for today's baseline style. It's golden for serve and volley but not much else. Not sure there's a solution but surprising more players don't skip the warmup tourneys. That may change," another added.

With a humid climate and constant rains, the slippery surface and the stop-start nature of matches at Wimbledon this year have made it tough for the players to adapt to the conditions. With another week of the tournament to go, the players will have to be extra cautious to avoid any injuries, especially with the Olympics coming up next.