Fans rally behind Emma Raducanu in searing heat ahead of Wimbledon showdown
Crowds queued around Centre Court with Pimm's in hand and sun hats on to watch the 22-year-old take on the world number one in one of the most anticipated matches of the Championships so far.
Amid the surge of interest in Raducanu's Centre Court showdown, stewards had begun turning fans away from the queue, warning that ground pass capacity was close to being reached.
Among the supporters were Amy Stainthorpe, 25, and Hannah Wicks, 24, both working in fashion buying, who said: 'You've got to support the girls.
'That's why we're here – the men take all of the spotlight, but it's great to see a lady running things.'
Beth Swinburne, 30, Liv Shackleton, 31, and Rose Butler, 29, all from London, said: 'She's so fab – girls in sport. Girl power.'
Miss Shackleton said: 'I think she's been really open about mental health struggles as well.'
Miss Butler said: 'I can't wait to have Pimm's on the hill and watch her.'
Jonathan Mack, 36, an investment manager from London, said: 'She's British, she's very pretty, she's very good at tennis. We'll be cheering her on.'
'Obviously there are rumours she's with Alcaraz – she's got a smile on her face, a bit of spring in her step.
'Maybe a bit of love is helping her. Perhaps he might be there watching her.'
Inside Centre Court, the Royal Box began to fill with famous faces including Gary Lineker, Anthony Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn – who arrived in near-matching cream jackets – alongside Dame Mary Berry, Professor Brian Cox and astronaut Tim Peake.
The stands were packed with spectators shielding themselves from the heat as anticipation built for what promises to be one of the standout matches of the tournament.
Raducanu's clash with Sabalenka on Centre Court follows matches between Taylor Fritz and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and Carlos Alcaraz and Jan-Lennard Struff.
Raducanu has been embracing the Wimbledon experience this week, training alongside world number one Jannik Sinner and spending time with childhood friends and long-time mentor Jane O'Donoghue.
The 22-year-old described watching Sinner as a chance to 'learn by osmosis', while calling it 'really special' to have her closest friends and support team with her during the tournament.
Facing top seed Sabalenka represents one of the toughest challenges in women's tennis, but Raducanu said she plans to be aggressive and 'creative', adding: 'You can't really do nothing or give nothing balls to her.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Fiona Phillips, 64, reveals she 'blocked out' memories of Strictly because she was 'traumatised' by Brendan Cole - as husband Martin Frizell issues update on her Alzheimer's diagnosis
Fiona Phillips has revealed she 'blocked out' memories of her 2005 Strictly Come Dancing stint because he was 'traumatised' by professional dancer Brendan Cole. The broadcaster, 64, was reflecting on her life and career in the wake of her Alzheimer's diagnosis, which she received in 2022 at the age of just 61. In an extract from her upcoming memoir, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, she detailed her time on the BBC show, sharing how she felt when footage of Brendan 'shouting and swearing' at her during rehearsals resurfaced amid the show's bullying probe. Fiona wrote: 'He could also be seen looking at my dancing and saying, "Pathetic, it's not good enough!" Then I'm begging him to "stop shouting" and worrying that I look completely ridiculous. 'There's a clip where I say to the cameraman that Brendan is looking at me like he's stepped in something. 'I really don't remember much of that time now – maybe I blocked it out because all I recall is the sense that it was incredibly traumatic.' Fiona continued: 'I was on the brink of tears most of the time and felt utterly exhausted. 'And it all seemed so pointless. Brendan would be swinging me around the dance floor for a paso doble and I'd be thinking, "I've just put Mum in a care home, what on Earth am I doing dressed up to the nines in a dancing competition?" 'I should probably have told the crew – or even Brendan – how much I was struggling, but I didn't. I just stumbled on. Literally. 'Fortunately (although I don't think Brendan saw it that way), we were voted out in week four. It was all over on Bonfire Night. What a relief!' Brendan did not have his Strictly contract renewed in 2018 and famously became tearful when he announced the news on Lorraine in January of that year. Fiona later branded his axing 'karma'. MailOnline has contacted Brendan's representatives for comment. On the weekend, Fiona's husband Martin Frizell issued an update on the former GMTV host's condition as he revealed she had remembered an outing they'd had three years prior. He shared a throwback snap of the couple attending Silverstone in 2022, in which the pair cosied up for the camera. Martin revealed he had a 'smile on his face' because Fiona had remembered an outing they'd had to Silverstone three years prior with 'quite a few of the details' Martin captioned the post: 'Fond memories in Lando's garage at Silverstone from '22, good luck to This Morning's adopted son today. 'Fiona remembers meeting and speaking with Lando, what a great treat this was and quite a few of the details - put a smile on my face today.' Following Fiona's diagnosis she revealed she was put on a drugs trial in an attempt to slow down the symptoms, something which she says appears to be working for her. In a previous interview with Women&Home magazine, Fiona said: 'I'm on a clinical trial and the signs are positive. 'I'm taking part in a revolutionary drug trial that's trying to find a cure. It involves a brand-new drug and a placebo, and I have no idea which one I'm on. 'When I went for my six-month check-up in October, they did cognitive tests to see where my brain was at, which showed that I was in the same place as I was the previous year. 'I'm hopeful that the drug is holding the disease where it is. I'd rather not have to be on the trial but I'm very grateful I am. 'There are risks, including bleeding on the brain, so I'm a guinea pig, but there's a real chance it could help.' Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, by Fiona Phillips will be published on July 17. What is Alzheimer's? Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, in which build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die. This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink. More than 5 million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the 6th leading cause of death, and more than 1 million Britons have it. WHAT HAPPENS? As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost. That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason. The progress of the disease is slow and gradual. On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some may live for ten to 15 years. EARLY SYMPTOMS: Loss of short-term memory Disorientation Behavioral changes Mood swings Difficulties dealing with money or making a phone call LATER SYMPTOMS: Severe memory loss, forgetting close family members, familiar objects or places Becoming anxious and frustrated over inability to make sense of the world, leading to aggressive behavior Eventually lose ability to walk May have problems eating The majority will eventually need 24-hour care
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
Wimbledon hit by travel chaos with Tube line SUSPENDED as tennis fans scramble to reach SW19
FANS heading to Wimbledon this morning were faced with significant delays due to severe issues on the District Line. SunSport was told by TfL staff on the ground that delays were caused by a signal issue, with engineers on the track attempting to fix the problem and trains stuck between Parsons Green and Wimbledon.
Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Why netball must learn from rugby when it comes to concussion
Gabby Marshall was watching the British and Irish Lions' squad announcement from her sofa earlier this summer when it dawned on her that her career was over. She should have been preparing for the business end of the Netball Super League season, but instead Marshall was still coming to terms with having to retire from the sport on medical grounds after suffering two concussions in a matter of weeks. 'I watched Maro Itoje being named as captain and it hit me,' Marshall tells Telegraph Sport. 'I thought, 'They're preparing for a tour and I'll never be preparing for a game again'. It made it feel real for some reason.' Marshall was making her debut for Birmingham Panthers on the opening day of the NSL's revamped season in March this year when she collided with Geva Mentor during the second quarter of the match. The former England goal keeper's shoulder clipped Marshall's head in a mid-air challenge before she smacked her head on the court as she fell. Incredibly, Marshall was deemed fit to continue after a SCAT test – the standardised tool to evaluate suspected concussions in athletes which includes assessing balance and asking questions to check memory. 'It wasn't until later on that I didn't feel quite right,' says Marshall, who was eventually substituted. After completing return-to-play protocols, she lined up to face eventual NSL champions London Pulse on April 13, but another head collision ended her game and ultimately spelt the end of her 12 years as a top-flight netball player. She was left with a lip laceration and carried off court on a spinal board after clattering into the goalkeeper. 'It looked like I had fillers on this side for a little while,' says Marshall, who endured lingering, post-concussive symptoms. 'I didn't really move out of bed for 10 days. I couldn't really do too much at all. I was just exhausted. The fatigue was a big one, like I would come and sit downstairs for 10 to 15 minutes, and then could feel myself kind of spacing out. I would go back upstairs and then just fall asleep for two or three hours.' Netball's new-look NSL has drawn higher crowds this season – London Pulse's 53-45 victory over Loughborough Lightning in the Grand Final on Sunday attracted a record number of fans to London's O2 Arena. But off the court, the pace of change feels slow. The NSL still relies heavily on volunteers, while physios attached to clubs are often not employed on a full-time basis. 'Quite a lot of teams will have sport therapists or physios who need to do their hours in training that might not pick up head injuries, so we're not getting to the top-tier level that we should,' says Rebekah Airey, another player who had to stop playing in the NSL after suffering five concussions in 20 months. One was so bad that she was hospitalised after being taken out in the air and hitting her head on the court. Severn Stars, her former club, were 'hugely supportive' and connected her with Professor Antonio Belli, an expert in acute brain injury at the University of Birmingham. 'The first thing he asked me was, 'Do you play rugby?' And I was like, 'No. I play netball,'' says Airey. 'He said that he would have told me to stop playing after three concussions.' Like in elite rugby, head injury assessments (HIAs) can be carried out at NSL matches, but only if a doctor is present – otherwise players with suspected concussions undergo a SCAT test. Airey, as she puts it, 'learnt how to play the system'. She says: 'It's the same SCAT test. My cognitive function was fine, but my motor control was off. I cry at everything now and I never used to be like that. I do think there's a lot the sport can learn from rugby.' England Netball already mandates all club staff in the NSL to complete the Rugby Football Union's 'Headcase' online learning module on concussion annually, but Airey believes the sport could do more. At present, it is not mandatory for match-day doctors to attend NSL games, meaning an HIA cannot be carried out straight away, while England Netball is yet to employ a chief medical officer. 'The sport doesn't have that infrastructure around concussion,' says Airey. 'It is getting better. People who take others out on court are getting sin-binned, which is an improvement, but the player in the sin-bin doesn't get to play [for two minutes] and the player who gets taken out might miss an entire season.' It is a sentiment echoed by the Netball Players Association, which is calling for greater vigilance around head injuries in the NSL. 'As a sport we all need to ensure good injury surveillance, that HIAs are done consistently and that there is good care and follow-up for all players,' says Liz Bloor, the chief executive of the NPA. 'Recognition of the potential accumulation of minor head injuries needs to be considered.' In netball, a player can receive a two-minute suspension for dangerous play – while players can be sent off for serious infringements – but do those rules go far enough? 'If there's ever a time to look at the policies, it's maybe [to] look at what we're doing to deter defenders from challenging for the ball or protecting players' heads,' says Marshall. 'The way in which netball is progressing in terms of the athleticism, the speed, the stakes as well, because I think that's a really important part of the game in terms of defenders going to try and win the ball.' Head injuries might have become synonymous with sports such as rugby, but in netball, Marshall's and Airey's stories should serve as cautionary tales. London Pulse beat Loughborough Lightning in the Grand Final at the O2 Arena to win their first Netball Super League title on Sunday. Lightning had been chasing their third title in a row but fell to a 53-45 defeat against a side who had already beaten them twice this season. Sam Bird's Pulse side, who had topped the NSL table, five points ahead of second-placed Lightning, established an early lead and never relinquished it, with Funmi Fadoju being named player of the match for her efforts in the heart of defence. 'I'm so happy for the club, the girls, our sponsors, our fans,' Bird told Sky Sports. 'It is such a great day. It was such a hard game. It was like a game of chess. The strategy involved was really tough and I'm just really proud we got across the line.' Fadoju added: 'It feels so amazing. I am so proud of the girls. We went out there and did what we had to do.'
