Emma Raducanu says she stands by her decision to withdraw from the Mixed Doubles at Wimbledon, thereby denying Andy Murray a final appearance at SW19.

The 21-year-old agreed to play in the mixed doubles with the two-time champion after he was forced to withdraw from the singles after undergoing emergency back surgery the week before the event.

However on Saturday she withdrew from the competition citing stiffness in her wrist – which was surgically repaired last year – meaning Murray missed out on the chance of a final appearance at the All-England Club.

Speaking after losing her fourth round match in the singles to New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun on Centre Court on Sunday evening, Raducanu told a media conference it was a ‘no brainer’ to prioritise her own singles campaign – one which she admitted had exceeded her expectations.

Sad scenes on Centre Court…

Emma Raducanu has exited #WIMBLEDON at the last-16 stage. #BBCTENNIS PIC.TWITTER.COM/WZYEOFZ3EJ

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) JULY 7, 2024

“I just woke up yesterday with a bit of stiff wrist,” she said. “With the balls being quite heavy in the grass, it’s just something that I have to manage.

“I’ve been playing on the grass for quite a few weeks now. I think I just had to prioritize my singles.”

‘I have to prioritize myself’

She claimed it had not been a mistake to accept Murray’s invitation to pair-up, adding: “I was feeling fine, then yesterday morning just woke up with stiffness. I have to prioritize myself, my singles and my body.

“I think it was the right decision. I stand by the decision. Obviously it was a tough decision, though, because it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.

“Of course, I didn’t want to take his last match away from him. But at the end of the day I think a lot of the players in a similar situation would have done the same thing, prioritizing their body.

“I still stand by making the right call.”

The 2021 US Open Champion – now ranked 135 in the world after an injury-plagued past 18 months – says she hopes Murray will be able to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics where he can expect another send-off.

She said: “(He was) obviously disappointed because it’s his last match. But what a champion. I think that hopefully he’ll play in the Olympics and have another farewell there.”

Raducanu said she was sure Judy Murray had not meant anything by her ‘sarcastic’ response to the news of her withdrawal, saying on social media that it was ‘astonishing.’

She added: “People are entitled to their opinions. Of course, there was a bit of a cloud around the decision.

“I don’t think I would have done it any other way. I think in this sport especially, as an individual, you have to make your own calls and prioritize yourself. Especially with my history, I just had to put myself first.

“Going into the tournament, I wasn’t expecting to make fourth round. So for me it was a no-brainer. I would have loved to have played (with him).”

Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon ended in ignominious fashion as she was dumped out in straight sets by New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun.

The last Brit in either the men’s or women’s singles bowed out the day after she withdrew from the Mixed Doubles due to wrist stiffness, leading to Andy Murray’s Wimbledon career ending earlier than planned.

Sad scenes on Centre Court…

Emma Raducanu has exited #WIMBLEDON at the last-16 stage. #BBCTENNIS PIC.TWITTER.COM/WZYEOFZ3EJ

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) JULY 7, 2024

The left-handed Sun, ranked 123 in the world, proved a tricky proposition with a big serve and aggressive mindset which had already seen her beat China’s eighth-seed Zheng Qinwen in her first round tie.

The first Kiwi woman to make the fourth round at Wimbledon in the Open era will now face Croatia’s Donna Vekic, another first-time quarter-finalist, who beat beat Paula Badosa in three sets.

Script flipped for Raducanu

Raducanu – ranked 135 after an injury plagued 2023 which saw her have surgery on both wrists – won the US Open as a qualifier in 2021 but saw the script flipped at the All-England Club.

Sun raced into a dream 3-0 lead with a double break in the first set, with unforced errors from Raducanu not helping her cause, and it was only a Sun double-fault on break point got Raducanu on the board.

Raducanu thought she had held serve with an ace to go to 4-3 but hadn’t heard the beep for a let and had to return to court only to then be broken again.

Sun wrapped up the opening set 6-2 after a failed Raducanu challenge for a passing shot down the line which was called out – the first set the Brit had lost in SW19 this year.

Sun continued to play positively and attack the net at every opportunity but Raducanu managed to hold her serve in game one before Sun missed a volley at the net for a break in game three.

Sun saved two break points in game four as the lengthy rallies began to take their toll on the players and Raducanu saved a break point in the seventh game with a series of powerful shots to the baseline on her way to another hold and 4-3 lead.

She badly mishit a forehand long at 15-30 in the next game and Sun went on to hold but Raducanu held to 15 in the next game with Sun guilty of two enforced errors as the tension grew.

Raducanu held her nerve to go 6-5 ahead and then earned a set point as Sun missed a simple smash, but another powerful forehand from the lefty took it to deuce.

A Raducanu forehand missile up the line gave her another chance and Sun went long to see the game tied at one set all – her 22nd unforced error of the second set.

Down goes the home favorite 😯

Lulu Sun defeats Emma Raducanu to reach her first major quarterfinal! #WIMBLEDON PIC.TWITTER.COM/ZPSAOQ9PYH

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) JULY 7, 2024

Raducanu slipped over at 15-30 down in the opening game, which required attention from the trainer.

She returned to the match with an ace but Sun rallied to break in the first game and then produced some powerful ground strokes to make it 2-0.

Raducanu dug deep to make it 4-2 but a blistering return of serve from Sun followed by a double-fault made it a double break and 5-2, which paved the way for a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win.

Centre Court debutant Sun told the crowd after her win: “It was a great match, Emma really dug deep. I had to fight tooth and nail against her. I am incredibly… I don’t even have the words.

“I am super happy to be able to play on this court – it’s such an amazing experience for me.

“Just watching Federer coming towards the net growing up, I watched Steffi Graf v Navratilova on YouTube. It was amazing to watch.”

Carlos Alcaraz is into the Wimbledon quarter-final but was pushed all the way by 16^th seed Ugo Humbert.

The 21-year-old defending champion turned on the style on his way to winning the opening set on Centre Court but the French No1 produced a gritty display to ensure the three which followed were far more nerve-wracking for the Spaniard – at one stage breaking his serve four games in a row.

After a slightly slow start Alcaraz eventually made light work of the opening set, unleashing a 107mph forehand across court on his way to winning the eighth game.

The third seed sealed a 6-3 win with a couple more big forehands and left-handed Humbert eventually netted a backhand to seal it.

The second set was far closer with Humbert serving well and returning aggressively and Alcarez saved four break points in the fifth game of the second set.

He then pinched the second set against the odds, producing a neat drop-shot to force deuce at 5-4 up and then earning a break point, and set point.

Humbert was in full control of the final point, having Alcaraz sliding onto his backside beyond the baseline at one stage, but just could not kill it off and eventually sent a routine volley at the net long to surrender the second set 6-4 and spark wild celebrations from the Spaniard.

Carlos Alcaraz won this point.#WIMBLEDON PIC.TWITTER.COM/9A6266BSWF

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) JULY 7, 2024

The Frenchman did not allow his head to drop and won six straight games in the third set with a triple break of serve, to take it 6-1.

Alcaraz broke to start the fourth set but Humbert replied in the very next game to level the scores, only for Alcaraz to make it three straight breaks to take charge.

Humbert replied in the sixth game off the back of some more aggressive early returns – breaking the Spaniard for the fifth time in six matches.

Alcarez eventually produced the crucial break in the 11^th game of the set and saw the match out for a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 win to go into the last eight.

Alcaraz admitted after the match: “Playing lefties is always tricky, no matter the surface. I played my first leftie at Queen’s so I learnt a little bit from that. I felt great playing today, I think I played a really high level and playing a leftie I tried not to think about it and just played my own game.”