Emma Raducanu's surgeries 'career-threatening' says former No.1

May 23, 2023

British Tennis Players, Emma Raducanu, Tennis News, WTA Tennis Players

Emma Raducanu’s surgeries are ‘career-threatening’ claims former No.1

Emma Raducanu appears to have undergone three successful surgeries, but six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker believes that they could be ‘career-threatening’ for the 20-year-old.

Raducanu announced earlier this month that she would undergo surgeries on both of her wrists and her ankle, in a letter posted to social media.

“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,” said Raducanu.

“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.”

The 2021 US Open champion also revealed in the note that she would be out for the ‘next few months’ and would be missing the summer events which is almost certain to include Raducanu’s home major, Wimbledon.

♥️ pt1 pic.twitter.com/sS7Url5j0p

— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) May 3, 2023

Former No.1 Becker believes that this will be ‘tough to bear’ for the young Brit, “The surgeries that she has had are, in my opinion, career-threatening. Having surgery on your playing wrist, and as a two-handed player, the other wrist – and then on your ankle – is tough to bear for a young woman.”

As well as Wimbledon, Raducanu will be missing the upcoming Roland Garros and it is unclear as to whether she will return to the US Open where she shocked the world two years ago.

Emma Raducanu best results since US Open triumph

Raducanu is yet to recreate her ‘fairytale in New York’, but there have been some flashes of the tennis that saw the British No.1 win 10 consecutive matches without dropping a set.

Here are three of the tournaments that we at Tennishead, believe she has shown her most US Open like performances:

Cincinnati 2022

While Raducanu only won two matches in this tournament, the Brit beat two former Grand Slam champions in Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka while only dropping six games in the process.

The British No.1 was knocked out in the next round by seventh seed Jessica Pegula, in a tight straight sets defeat.

Seoul 2022

Following a disappointing defence of her US Open title, Raducanu opted to play some WTA 250 events and in the process reached her first and only semi-final since her Grand Slam win.

Raducanu beat Moyuka Uchijima, Yanina Wickmayer and Magda Linette, before retiring in her semi-final to Jelena Ostapenko with injury.

Indian Wells 2023

Although 2023 has been a very disrupted season for Raducanu, she picked up her highest ranked win since the US Open at Indian Wells.

The Brit’s participation at the event was up in the air until her first match against Danka Kovinic, as she had been struggling with illness and the ongoing wrist injuries, but she ended up taking to the court four times in the desert.

Raducanu beat Kovinic, followed by two wins over seeds Magda Linette and Beatriz Haddad Maia, before being beaten by the WTA No.1 Iga Swiatek.