Emma Raducanu’s injury horror story reaches a grizzly conclusion

WTA Tour

Kevin Palmer
May 3, 2023

It is the inevitable end to this phase of the Emma Raducanu story.

After several months of battling wrist injuries that were restricting her time on court and in matches, the agony finally proved to be too much for the 2021 US Open champion.

A statement on her social media accounts confirmed the 20-year-old will now take an extended break way from the game, with operations on both wrists and her ankle highlight the scale of the physical issues she has been battling in recent months.

“It is safe to say the last 10 months have been difficult as I dealt with a recurring injury on a bone of both hands,” Raducanu wrote on Instagram alongside a picture after her surgery.

“I tried my best to manage the pain and play through it for most of this year and end of last year by reducing practice load dramatically, missing weeks of training as well as cutting last season short to try heal it.

“Unfortunately it’s not enough. I’m having a minor procedure done on both hands to resolve the issues.

“I’m disappointed to share that I will be out for the next few months and while I am at it will have another minor procedure that is due on my ankle.

“It pains me that I will miss the summer events and I tried to downplay the issues so I thank all my fans who continued to support me when you did not know the facts.

“Look forward to seeing you all back out there.”

This news is a hammer blow to Raducanu’s army of British fans, as she will miss the LTA’s summer grass court events and also The Championships at Wimbledon.

In addition, she may not return to the game for several months and by the time she is back on court, she will no longer be a member of the game’s top 100 and could find herself starting her career all over again.

Is that a problem?

Of course, surgery at this stage of her career is not ideal, but it has been clear for some time that Raducanu has not been enjoying her life on or off the court.

Injuries have undoubtedly affected her ambitions, with her lack of time on the practice court impacting her hopes of success in major tournaments.

Raducanu’s US Open win in 2021 came after a lengthy run of action in the weeks before, with her match sharpness getting her through matches against more experienced opponents.

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Since that famous run in New York, Raducanu has struggled to play with the freedom that was so important to her US Open win and now we wait to see if this break from the game can be the start of a new story for one of the game’s biggest names.

Women’s tennis needs new stars and Raducanu has the potential to be that marquee name who can help to drive the game for the next decade a more.

It can only be hoped this unplanned break away from the court can pave the way for a successful future for Raducanu.

Emma Raducanu