Emma Raducanu has spoken about how difficult things got when she was out injured during the 2023 season.
The 2021 US Open champion is making her return to the sport after a long spell out with injury. Raducanu last competed on the WTA Tour in April, when she lost in straight sets to Jelena Ostapenko in Stuttgart.
Raducanu's first-round opponent for her comeback at the ASB Classic in Auckland has been set, and the tennis world will excitedly welcome back a player who has the potential to give so much more to the sport.
The Brit suffered from both wrist and ankle injuries. Operations were needed for both issues, which is a big part of why so much time was needed for Raducanu to return to tennis.
Raducanu recently did an interview with Sky Sports News, and she went into detail about the extent of the injuries, and just how much it limited her life on a daily basis.
The 21-year-old stated that the injuries on their own were difficult enough as she could not compete on court. However, it was when she had two injured wrists and an ankle problem together that life became very hard.
Raducanu had to use a specially-made scooter to move around at all. Yet, even with that, she said it was essentially impossible to even do basic tasks such as going to the supermarket, and that for months, she barely left her house.
The Grand Slam winner struck a positive tone as she described these challenges. Raducanu said it reignited her fire for tennis and also gave her an appreciation for having full mobility, which she clearly still has after recovering from those injuries.
Raducanu, who made a big claim ahead of her comeback, seemed in a very good place in the interview. Hopefully that translates into strong results on the court.