Sports
Emma Raducanu's Andy Murray decision exemplifies tennis' battle with logic and emotion
Follow live coverage of the eighth day of Wimbledon 2024 today
At the heart of the row over Emma Raducanu’s decision to blow off her Wimbledon mixed doubles date with Andy Murray is an irresistible three-way tug-of-war between emotion, rationality and karma that could only unfold in tennis.
After Raducanu confirmed that she would withdraw from their first-round match, scheduled for Saturday evening, via a Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) statement, Murray’s mother and first ever coach, Judy, ensured that she would forever be the leader of the emotional tug of all this with 11 taps of the keys on social media. She described Raducanu’s decision to break off the engagement with her son on No 1 Court, so ending his glittering Wimbledon career at age 37, as “astonishing”.
Raducanu, who is on her best run of form at a Grand Slam tournament since winning the U.S. Open in 2021, said she awoke with stiffness in her wrist and did not want to risk further injury ahead of her fourth-round match against Lulu Sun, a 23-year-old qualifier from New Zealand. They are due to play this afternoon, Sunday, on Centre Court.
The decision came just days after Raducanu talked about needing only seconds to accept Murray’s invitation to team up here. About how she had watched him play in the 2012 Olympics at Wimbledon with Laura Robson, winning silver medals, and dreamed that one day she might be able to partner him.
Murray’s camp emphasized on Saturday that he had been ready to play, and that there was no issue with his recently-operated-on back, which had forced him out of the men’s singles draw at his final Wimbledon.
GO DEEPER
Murray disappointed after Raducanu withdrawal ends Wimbledon career
On one hand, it’s easy to understand Judy Murray’s emotional reaction to Raducanu’s decision. Her son had offered Raducanu, who has struggled with injuries and battled questions about her commitment to the sport the past two years, a chance to share some of the ethereal light from his career.
His invitation also served notice to a British sporting public that has been running out of patience with Raducanu’s trajectory. Their frustration is born to a certain extent of false perceptions. Injuries — requiring operations on both wrists, the site of her current ailment, last summer — have derailed her career for over a year; winning a U.S. Open title at 18 as a qualifier is abnormal as much as it is remarkable.
Raducanu has not yet been able to prove that she can be just a normal tennis player, and a very good one at that, because she hasn’t really had the opportunity, and given how prone she appears to injury, she is likely one of those players who may need to put in a lot of training work outside tournaments to stay as healthy as possible and reach her full potential.
Judy Murray attended her son’s Centre Court farewell match earlier this week (Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)
The irony of all this is that when Murray was Raducanu’s age, he didn’t have the best reputation either.
In his case, much of the tennis-viewing populace took a sideways view of his often cranky on-court demeanor. It wasn’t how a rising force in a gentleman’s game was supposed to act in the era of Roger Federer, its greatest gentleman of all — once he figured out how to stop breaking rackets.
For Judy Murray to toss a bit of fuel on the fire that Raducanu had begun working hard to snuff out suggested a singular vision about the priorities of the fortnight, which for the players remaining in the singles draws, is to win titles rather than provide a stage for valedictories.
GO DEEPER
‘Take your time, you d*ck’: 15 years of defending and deserving Andy Murray
The best way for Raducanu to prove her potential would be a deep run at Wimbledon off the back of the roughest period of her career.
Tiring herself into a possible defeat for the sake of a sporting occasion that is largely meaningless in the grand scheme of that career would not be a good way to do it.
Anyone mapping out a rational plan to best prepare Raducanu for a match on a Sunday would not put her on a tennis court late on the previous day for one that, while emotional, would likely have also had the air of an exhibition. They would put her on a couch, maybe with an ice pack on her stiff wrist, rather than a racket in her hand.
Playing a symbolic match with Murray in front of over 12,000 screaming fans in the evening is a good route to bad sleep and a body pumped full of adrenaline until the small hours of the morning, once you factor in a post-match treatment, eating, getting to bed and winding down.
Raducanu is looking to regain her consistency after a tough time with injuries (John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)
That’s not a rational plan for success during your best run at a Grand Slam tournament since you won one almost three years before.
But tennis is not a rational sport, it’s an emotional one filled with unique codes of etiquette that players are often loathe to mess with, lest they anger the sport’s karma gods. Blowing off the greatest tennis legend in your country’s tennis history in his final Wimbledon, during a week that has basically been all about celebrating him, when you are only in the singles thanks to a wild card, would seem like a good way to anger them — or at least Judy Murray, which has never been good etiquette.
Walking onto a court with that legend, the essence of good Wimbledon karma, maybe picking up a tip or two about what it takes to win in this place. That would seem like a good way to get the game’s mystical forces on your side.
Raducanu has made a decision that she thinks is right and is best for her tennis at this year’s Wimbledon.
So do those karma gods really exist? Maybe only if you believe they do.
(Top photo: Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
Sports
Austin Reaves nearing return for Lakers as Luka Doncic remains out indefinitely with hamstring strain: report
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
In early April, with just five games remaining in the regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers announced that star guard Luka Doncic would be sidelined at least until the NBA playoffs.
Doncic’s setback was a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, an MRI confirmed. The reigning NBA scoring champion sustained the injury during an April 2 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers also entered the playoffs without another key member of their backcourt, Austin Reaves.
The shorthanded Lakers upset the Houston Rockets in the opening game of their first-round Western Conference series Saturday. Ahead of Game 2 on Tuesday, the Lakers reportedly received a clearer update on the health of at least one of their injured stars.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves brings the ball up court against the Washington Wizards in Los Angeles on March 30, 2026. (Ryan Sun/AP)
Reaves, who was diagnosed with an oblique strain, appears to be progressing toward a return later in the first-round series if it extends to six or seven games. If the Lakers advance sooner, he could be on track to return for the Western Conference semifinals.
According to ESPN, Reaves recently returned to the practice court for 1-on-1 drills. The 27-year-old will still need to progress to 2-on-3 and then 5-on-5 work before he can be cleared for playoff action, but he appears significantly further along than Doncic, who remains out indefinitely.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center on March 21, 2026. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
Doncic is unlikely to play in the first round, regardless of the series length. ESPN footage showed him on the practice court on Tuesday, though the six-time All-Star was not doing high-intensity work.
2025-26 NBA PLAYOFF ODDS: SPREADS, LINES FOR FIRST-ROUND SERIES
The Rockets, despite being widely favored in the opening round playoffs series, also contended with key injuries. Kevin Durant missed Game 1 with a knee contusion. He was cleared to play in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. shoots the ball against the Lakers during Game 1 in the NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on April 18, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
LeBron James scored 19 points, while Luke Kennard led Los Angeles with 27 in Saturday’s win.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Watching junior right-hander Fabian Bravo of Sun Valley Poly High pitch for the first time, there was something strangely familiar about his windup.
When he turned his back to reveal he was wearing No. 32, everything made sense.
He had to be a fan of Sandy Koufax, the 1960s Hall of Fame left-hander for the Dodgers.
Two friends sitting next to me refused to believe it.
“No way,” one said.
“Kids today have never heard of Sandy Koufax,” another piped in.
Only after Bravo threw a three-hit shutout to beat North Hollywood 3-0 was my belief vindicated.
“I come into the back with my arms and it’s a little bit like a Sandy Koufax kind of thing,” he said. “I wear 32 too. He was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers and was good in the World Series.”
Koufax was perfect-game good on Sept. 9, 1965, against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium, striking out 14.
Bravo started learning about No. 32 when his parents would bring him to Dodger Stadium as a young boy.
“I always saw No. 32 retired on the wall,” he said. “Once I got to know him, I was able to see who he really was. I felt I could really copy him and get myself deeper into history.”
Bravo is no Koufax in terms of being a power pitcher. He’s 5 feet 10 and 140 pounds. Since last season, when he changed his windup to briefly emulate Koufax’s arms going above his head, he has a 12-3 record. This season he’s 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA.
“I saw his windup and he looked like he was calm and composed and I tried it. I felt more of a rhythm. I was able to calm down and pitch better,” he said.
After Bravo’s arms go up over his head in his windup, he also does a brief hesitation breathing in and out before throwing the ball toward home plate.
“My dad always taught me to breathe in, breathe out before I do anything,” he said.
Nowadays, teenagers seemingly don’t pay much attention to greats of the past, from old ballplayers to Hall of Fame coaches. Ask someone if they know John Wooden, kids today probably don’t. He did win 10 NCAA basketball titles coaching for UCLA. And who was Don Drysdale? Only a Dodger Hall of Fame pitcher alongside Koufax from Van Nuys High.
Bravo is fortunate he’s seen Dodger broadcasts mentioning Koufax at the stadium and on TV, motivating him to learn more, which led to seeing his windup on YouTube.
His older brother also wore No. 32, so no one was getting that uniform number other than a Bravo brother at Poly.
There is another Bravo set to arrive in the fall. Julian Bravo will be a freshman left-handed pitcher and wants No. 32.
“While I’m there he’s going to have to find a new number,” Fabian Bravo said.
Julian might also want to help his big brother gain a few pounds at the dinner table.
“My brother takes food from me,” he said.
As for recognizing Bravo’s Koufax connection, it was No. 32 that provided the clue. How many pitchers in the 1970s were choosing No. 32? A lot. And it’s great to see a 17-year-old in 2026 paying tribute to one of the greatest pitchers ever.
Emulating Koufax is hard, but forgetting him is unforgivable.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Eli Manning retired in 2019 and missed out in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility in 2025. He was passed over again earlier this year but still fired back at a fan who claimed one of his contemporaries was the better quarterback.
On Tuesday, a social media user floated a theory about former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan, who now oversees football operations as the team’s president, last played in an NFL game in 2022. He announced his retirement in 2024, making him eligible for Hall of Fame consideration beginning in 2028.
“Matt Ryan was a better QB than Eli Manning… people just worship rings. Agree or nah,” the post read.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning greets Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan after their game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 22, 2018. (Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports)
Manning caught wind of the suggestion and weighed in, pointing to the two Super Bowl-winning teams he was part of during his standout run with the New York Giants.
“I will ponder this while I play with my rings…,” Manning wrote in a quote-tweet.
Ryan’s statistical production surpasses Manning’s, at least on paper. He was named NFL MVP in 2016, an honor Manning never earned. Ryan is also the most accomplished player in Falcons history and finished his career with more than 62,000 regular-season passing yards, compared with Manning’s 57,023.
NFC head coach Eli Manning leads a huddle during a practice session before the NFL Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Both quarterbacks were selected to four Pro Bowls, but the key difference lies in championships. Manning won the Super Bowl in 2007 and 2011, while Ryan reached it once but fell short. Manning threw for a single season career-best 4,933 during the run leading up to the second Super Bowl title.
Ryan threw for 284 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to help the Falcons build a 25-point lead in the championship game — a matchup remembered for the New England Patriots engineering the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The Falcons have reached the Super Bowl twice in franchise history, first in 1998, but the team is still chasing its first elusive championship.
The Giants marked their 100th season in 2024, winning four Super Bowls over the franchise’s century-long history.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
-
World4 minutes ago‘Blockade and threats’: Iran blames US siege of ports for stalled talks
-
News34 minutes agoPentagon says Navy secretary is leaving, the latest departure of a top defense leader
-
New York2 hours agoGunman Who Killed Baby in Brooklyn Was Targeting Her Father, Police Say
-
Detroit, MI3 hours agoHow these Detroit farmers are fighting for neighborhood food security
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours agoS.F. hospital stabbing analysis confirms Mission Local reporting on security lapses
-
Dallas, TX3 hours agoIt’s a big week for restaurant openings and closings in Dallas
-
Miami, FL3 hours agoCain, Kushner launch South Florida JV with plans for Edgewater rental tower
-
Boston, MA3 hours agoMBTA Green Line trains out from Kenmore to Boston College on B branch through April 30