Emma Raducanu in huge Wimbledon boost as opponent ...
EMMA RADUCANU has received a major boost ahead of her Wimbledon first-round clash after her opponent withdrew just hours before taking to the court.
The 2021 US Open champion was due to face Ekaterina Alexandrova.
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But the 22nd seed pulled out with illness this morning.
So Raducanu will now play Mexican Renata Zarazua second up on Centre Court.
Victory for the Brit would guarantee her £93,000 in prize money by reaching round two.
World No98 Zarazua is deemed a "lucky loser" after falling in the third round of qualifying.
Raducanu faced a daunting prospect of taking on Russian world No22 Alexandrova in her opening match.
This is Raducanu's first appearance at Wimbledon for two years.
She missed the 2023 Championships as she recovered from a triple surgery.
The Kent ace then skipped the French Open on clay to focus on her Wimbledon preparation on grass.
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She reached the semi-finals at the Nottingham Open, losing to British No1 Katie Boulter in a three-set clash.
And then Raducanu earned her maiden win over a top-ten player at Eastbourne last week.
Seven secrets of Wimbledon fans won't know
Wimbledon 2024 prize money
PRIZE MONEY for the 2024 Wimbledon Championships is a new record - and puts the grass-court Slam at the top of the tree.
The All England Club will dish out £50million across all the events - an increase of £5.3m and 11.9 per cent on last year, where singles champions Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova picked up £2.35m each.
However, the king and queen of grass this July will collect an extra £350,000 - taking the winner's earnings to £2.7m.
Here is the breakdown for the 2024 Wimbledon singles prize money:
Winner: £2.7mRunner-up: £1.4mSemi-finalists: £715,000Quarter-finalists: £375,000Fourth round: £226,000Third round: £143,000Second round: £93,000First round: £60,000Overall total: £50mHer comeback 4-6 7-6 7-5 victory over Jessica Pegula is the biggest scalp of her career so far and put her into the semis, where she fell to Daria Kasatkina.
Defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz opens up Centre Court on Day One, as is the tradition at Wimbledon.
The No3 seed plays Estonian Mark Lajal at 1.30pm before Raducanu vs Zarazua.
No2 seed Coco Gauff takes on fellow American Caroline Dolehide last up on the main show court.
What it's like to be a Wimbledon ball kid
By Alison Maloney
WHILE the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Andy Murray keep us entertained during this summer's Championships, spare a thought for those unsung heroes that keep the tournament going.
Personal trainer Alex Crockford, now 33, served as a ball boy at Wimbledon in 2005 and 2006, and has lifted the lid to SunSport on what it's really like.
“Standing still for hours is one of the toughest parts of being a ball boy,” he says.
“It's quite strict and you don't want to let your team down or feel like you're doing a bad job.
“I remember one really hot day, I clearly hadn't fuelled or hydrated myself appropriately.
"I did have a very faint moment, and started seeing blurry stars.
“There are six BBGs on the court and a captain, which was me, so I was standing to the left of the umpire chair and I was away from my water.
“I had to go outside of my position, get some water and re-balance myself before I could continue."
Click here to read Alex's ball boy story in full.
However, No3 seed Aryna Sabalenka is out.
Like Alexandrova, Sabalenka also withdrew just hours before taking to the court.
She was struggling with a shoulder injury impacting her serve.
And that could be more good news for Raducanu - because she could have faced Sabalenka in round four.
The Belarusian has been replaced by lucky loser Erika Andreeva, older sister of Russian sensation Mirra, who will now face Emina Bektas.
That match was due to be on No1 Court - but has been moved to make way for 12th seed Madison Keys against Martina Trevisan.
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