For the fifth time since the start of 2023, Emma Raducanu is missing a Grand Slam due to injury.
The 23-year-old has struggled for consistency ever since her stunning run to the US Open title in 2021.
Raducanu had been due to face Antonia Ruzic in the opening Wimbledon match on No 1 Court on Monday, with a potential third-round showdown with world No1 Aryna Sabalenka looming on the horizon.
However, Raducanu missed practice sessions last week and then cut short her session on Saturday, during which she wore strapping around her lower right leg.
At a press conference on Sunday she initially suggested that she would try to play through the pain, but Raducanu admitted defeat later that night. She revealed one final scan confirmed a stress fracture.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but sadly I've had to withdraw from this year's Wimbledon," Raducanu said in a statement.
"I've done everything possible to try to get to the start line tomorrow, but after a final scan tonight, the niggle I've been managing has developed into a stress fracture and I've been medically advised to stop pushing through.
Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process
Emma Raducanu
"Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process.
"I want to thank you all for your support and encouragement. Especially at a time like this, it is invaluable. I look forward to seeing you when I'm back."
There had been optimism that Raducanu was building back to something close to her best.
The Briton had to cut her season short last year due to bone bruising in her right foot. However, she overcame that and made it to the final of the Transylvanian Open in February, her first WTA final since the 2021 US Open.
Another setback followed, though, as a viral illness limited Raducanu to six matches from February to Queen's earlier this month.
Raducanu opted for a reunion with Andrew Richardson last month as her permanent coach. After so much instability in recent years, it was hoped Richardson, who helped guide her to that victory at the US Open, would provide some calm.
The signs were good when Raducanu enjoyed a brilliant run to the final at Queen's, but more frustration has followed.
Raducanu had been managing a "niggle" leading up to Queen's and five matches that week - including the quarter-finals and semi-finals on the same day - ultimately proved too much for her body.
She spent last week trying to prove her fitness in the gym and on the practice courts.
Raducanu was desperate to compete at her home Grand Slam, where some of her best performances have come over the last couple of years.
The Briton reached the fourth round in 2024 and then lost a third-round epic to Sabalenka last year.
However, she will not get the chance to build on that. Her focus will now turn to making a full recovery but it remains to be seen how much of the North American hard-court swing Raducanu will be fit enough to play.
