Emma Raducanu wants to shed the image of an injured player in her comeback as she prepares to play her first competitive match in months.
Before she started to get injured, Raducanu never had the reputation of an injured player. To be fair, she wasn't a very well-known player that was followed closely and also didn't play that much.
Her rise in 2021 was meteoric, and there weren't any injury concerns. Those came a year later when she started to play regularly, and it quickly became apparent that she was not ready for it.
Injury after injury kept her away from the courts, and she finally stopped altogether to get some of those issues surgically fixed.
A long hiatus followed, but she's back and ready to get going. Speaking to the media ahead of her ASB Classic comeback, Raducanu admitted she feels reborn.
It might be a dramatic, cliched turn, but it kind of makes sense. She's missed enough time to sort of really pull back and contemplate things. In a way, this truly is a new beginning for her, something she talked about often.
Nobody really doubts the tennis side, but the physical aspect certainly remains a question mark. She worked in the gym and said that she trusts her body now, but time will tell. There is an injury-prone label attached to her now, and that will take time to shed fully.
I’m looking forward to playing tournaments and just getting that feel again. I’m also looking forward to putting together good training weeks. I think that’s something I’ve really noticed in the past few months -- how much your game can actually improve by training the right [way].
The plan is to remain true to herself and be an aggressive baseline player. It's a playstyle that works in current tennis, but only if you do it at a high level. She showed it's possible at the US Open two years ago, but how consistently possible is it? That's the question.
Playing how I want to play. My identity and sticking to that. That’s when I play my best tennis, that’s when I’m the best competitor. That’s how I enjoy playing as well. It’s just more fun.
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