The BBC have announced that Emma Raducanu’s brave defeat to Aryna Sabalenka on Friday night drew a peak audiance of five million viewers. That figure is the third-highest peak for a non-final since Covid. Around 1.2m tuned into the tie via iPlayer.
Raducanu’s fourth-round loss to Lulu Sun last year surpassed that mark, as did Andy Murray’s four-set defeat to John Isner here in the second round in 2022.
Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, said: “Wimbledon has the ability to mesmerise the nation, and the Sabalenka vs Raducanu match was one of those special moments that brought audiences to BBC Sport in their millions.
“We’re proud to make these iconic and unforgettable sporting moments available to everyone free-to-air across TV, radio and online and there’s still plenty of drama to come in week two.”
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