Raducanu Declares Herself 'Pain-Free' After Convincing Win At Australian Open
WTA
Emma Raducanu was delighted with her Grand Slam return at the 2024 Australian Open but admitted that it's been a long road to recovery due to her ongoing wrist issues.
Raducanu played her first Grand Slam match since the second round of the Australian Open 2023, and the Brit made a triumphant return, defeating Shelby Rogers in straight sets. The win comes as the 21-year-old continues to recover from multiple surgeries in 2023, which ruled her out for most of the season.
Recently, the former US Open champion has opened up about the difficulties of her wrist problems, which limited her practice time and left her underprepared for matches.
Speaking after her Australian Open first-round win, Raducanu simply said she feels relief that the wrist surgery was successful and that she didn't believe playing without pain was possible at one stage.
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"No, it's amazing to be pain-free with the wrists. I honestly didn't know if I'd ever get to this stage. Yeah, it just amazing to be playing pain-free. I had pain for so long. I was playing since before the U.S. swing in 2022 all the way before surgery."
Expanding on the issues caused by her wrist injuries throughout 2023, Raducanu explained how a lack of training and practice limited her performance and progress in competitions.
In 2023, the British player dropped as low as 296 in the WTA Rankings due to her poor performance and following her recovery from three surgeries.
Looking back on the tricky period last season, Raducanu said she faced challenges with her routine before tournaments due to her wrist complaint.
"It was difficult because I wasn't able to train, I wasn't able to practice. Then having to go play and compete against the best in the world with an hour a day, while not playing for two weeks trying to settle the pain down, is very difficult."
