During her first-round match at Wimbledon 2025 on June 30, Emma Raducanu experienced a lighthearted interruption that the BBC failed to broadcast, prompting the British No. 1 to speak out post-match. While leading 17-year-old wildcard Mimi Xu 6-3 in the first set on Court 1, a spectator’s champagne bottle popped during a changeover, sending the cork flying into the service box. Raducanu, amused, retrieved the cork, waved it playfully at the crowd, and placed it in a bin, a moment that delighted fans but was missed by TV viewers as the BBC cut to first-set statistics, per *Express.co.uk* and *GB News*.[](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/2075439/Emma-Raducanu-Wimbledon-interruption-BBC)[](https://www.gbnews.com/sport/tennis/emma-raducanu-bbc-wimbledon-2672502979)
In her on-court interview after the 6-3, 6-3 victory, Raducanu addressed the incident with a smile, saying, “I’m glad people were having fun today! I saw a champagne cork fly onto the court, so that was fun, glad you guys are having a good time, cheers to you!” per *Wales Online*. She noted the moment “loosened me up,” helping her stay relaxed despite the “awkward” challenge of facing a compatriot, per *The Mirror US*. The incident, untelevised due to the BBC’s focus on stats, sparked fan frustration on X, with @WalesOnline tweeting about the missed “bubbly display” (@WalesOnline, July 1, 2025).[](https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/other-sport/tennis/emma-raducanu-speaks-out-bbc-31966359)[](https://www.themirror.com/sport/tennis/emma-raducanu-responds-wimbledon-interruption-1236926)
The BBC’s coverage also drew criticism for switching from Raducanu’s match to Carlos Alcaraz’s fifth-set battle against Fabio Fognini, leaving viewers upset, per *Express.co.uk*. One fan tweeted, “Why did BBC stop showing the #raducanu match?????????” (@GBNEWS, June 30, 2025). Despite the broadcasting oversight, Raducanu’s playful response to the cork incident and her composed performance—25 winners, 12 unforced errors—set a positive tone for her second-round clash with 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova, per *Daily Star*. Her heartwarming 2022 gesture of practicing with Xu at the NTC further highlighted her graciousness, per *Express.co.uk*.
