Emma Raducanu won't enter this year's Roland Garros 100% healthy, which she admitted during her pre-tournament press conference.
Raducanu might be one of the most talented players on the WTA Tour, but she's also one of the players who struggle with injuries most often. Those seemingly never avoid her, as the British player admitted to a health issue ahead of the upcoming Roland Garros.
The 22-year-old last competed at the Strasbourg Open, where she lost to Danielle Collins in the second round. Raducanu started that match well, leading after the first set, but she started physically struggling as the match went on.
After the match, the 2021 US Open champion admitted that she was hindered by an injury, and, unfortunately for her, she didn't manage to fully heal prior to this year's French Open.
Naturally, after the latest setback, Raducanu was asked about her injury ahead of the clay-court Grand Slam, and she admitted that she still doesn't feel the best, even though she has been working hard to properly recover.
"It’s not feeling 100%. I had a spasm in Strasbourg, and have just been trying to manage it as best I can, doing treatment."
"I’ve been on the practice court last night and this morning. Yeah, it felt okay, but obviously it’s different playing a match. I’m trying to do everything to get up to speed as fast as possible."
Raducanu also revealed that she had to overcome one of her biggest phobias to successfully treat her injury. Earlier this year, in Australia, the Brit had to use a method that included needles, something she previously feared.
Since that method helped her before, Raducanu has been trying the dry needling ahead of this year's Roland Garros as well, as she now doesn't fear needles as much as she once used to.
"It is similar to the problem I had in Australia, I would say the one before Australia was worse. I feel like this one I kind of caught before it fully locked up. So I think the treatment is a lot of it with the physios, a lot of it with heat."
"I've been doing some dry needling where they twitch the needle, like they move it. “At the start of the year I was so scared of needles. It was my biggest phobia. That was the only way I was going to be able to play Australia."
"So since then, I’ve been kind of dipping my toes into it because I know it helps, even though I’m really scared of them. That’s how I’ve kind of been trying to manage it."
If she successfully steps onto the court for her first-round match, Raducanu will take on Xinyu Wang. Then, her second-round opponent can be four-time Roland Garros champion, Iga Swiatek.
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