Emma Raducanu: What is her injury and when will she return to tennis?
Since stunning the tennis world and winning the US Open in 2021, life on tour for Emma Raducanu has been marred through injury setbacks and coaching switch ups.
There is no question that she is a miss, even if things haven’t especially worked out for her since that incredible US Open triumph.
British tennis legend Tim Henman recently urged Raducanu to take her time with her comeback or risk breaking down again, but what is the injury keeping her out and when will she return?
How long has she been out?
Raducanu’s most recent injury spell has sidelined her since the 6-2, 6-1 loss she suffered at the hands of Jelena Ostapenko at the WTA500 in Stuttgart in April.
In 2021, she became the first qualifier in Open Era tennis to win a Grand Slam title, and what’s more, she did so without dropping a single set.
However, since then, Raducanu has been grappling with the pressure and expectation that naturally follows.
Her meteoric rise to fame meant that she was never really settled on tour, and despite the significance of her success, unnecessary pressure soon grew out of control.
Following her second round loss at Wimbledon in 2022, Raducanu responded to the attention she was receiving: “Why is there any pressure? It’s a joke, I’m still 19 and I literally won a Slam.
“If anything, the pressure is on those who haven’t done that.”
What injury does Emma Raducanu have?
It hasn’t just been the pressure and expectation that Emma Raducanu has been wrestling with; physical issues have also been a constraint to her form.
The 2022 season – her first full season on tour – saw her tennis hindered by consistent injury niggles which resulted in some devastating losses and inconsistencies in form.
More of the same followed at the beginning of this year, and it wasn’t long before the pain she was feeling in various parts of her body forced her to undergo operations.
At the start of May, she took to Instagram with a handwritten note: “I tried my best to manage the pain and fight through it for most of this year and the end of last year.
opa. 3/3❤️🩹 🙂 pic.twitter.com/YbXQS5PZtX
— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) May 15, 2023
“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.
“Looking forward to seeing you back out there.”
The Bromley-based star underwent surgery on both of her wrists and her left ankle in May of this year in an attempt to find the form that led her to victory at Flushing Meadows as a teenager.
Despite the support she has received, Raducanu has been dealing with a new angle of criticism that has arisen from the number of coaching changes she has undergone (six since 2021) in recent years.
This is something that has been brushed aside by her agent, who claimed that the constant changes were something that Raducanu and her father were happy with.
When will she return?
Emma Raducanu has been on the practice courts since August after undergoing surgery and is steadily progressing back to full health.
another week closer 🙏 #progress pic.twitter.com/bDYLe8CQDB
— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) October 28, 2023
The former world no.10 was set to make her comeback at an exhibition match in China in December, but has recently pulled out, deeming it ‘too soon’.
Despite pulling out, Raducanu fans will be pleased to hear that she is still hoping to return to competition in January with her eyes set on finding the form that saw her rise to the heights of the sport.
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