Emma Raducanu will play Renata Zarazua in the opening round of Wimbledon on Monday as 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova pulled out of the tournament with an illness.
The former US Open winner was announced to play Alexandrova in the main draw. Zarazua — the lucky loser — will replace her and play Raducanu on Centre Court.
Raducanu has had a successful run going into her first Wimbledon match, making the semifinals in Nottingham and the quarterfinals in Eastbourne. She took her first win against a top-10 player in June, winning against Jessica Pegula.
The meet-up between Zarazua and Raducanu marks the Brit’s return to the grass-court Slam after having undergone surgery on both wrists and her ankle in 2023.
Zarazua lost to McCartney Kessler in qualifying but was selected as a lucky loser to replace Alexandrova. She made it into the 2024 French Open but lost in the first round at Roland Garros.
