Jennifer Brady has her first win since 2021 on the WTA Tour under her belt after making a successful comeback against Anhelina Kalinina in Washington.
The American player struggled tremendously with multiple injuries and, just generally, getting back to tennis for much of the last year and a half. Her career was derailed at a time when she was playing really well, as she had just made a final at the Australian Open. That was the best tennis she had ever played, but unfortunately, the injury happened.
News of her comeback has been present in the media circles for a while now as she spoke about her plans to come back. Now, almost two years later, the American is back to winning ways, earning her first WTA win 714 days at the 2023 Citi Open. It was a massive moment for Brady, who spoke about her comeback after the match admitting that she stopped multiple times.
[It took] a lot of time [to get back here]. There were a lot of times I was at a complete stop. Didn’t really look like a pro tennis player. I lost a lot of my skills, muscle mass.. it took a lot of patience.
I'm pretty happy with the way I came out, handled my emotions, stayed true to my game plan, and was able to come out with a win. Tennis is a part of who I am, and I hope I never lose that. I'm happy to just be out here competing with the best.
The win was a very impressive one, as Brady showcased a pretty good level. Kalinina didn't play a good match, and things will certainly be harder for Brady in her next match, but it was a good win to have. She's going to play Madison Keys next, according to the draw, and that should be a very interesting match.