Emma Raducanu had to forego participating in the French Open, Wimbledon, and some other important tournaments. This was due to her taking the necessary time to address persistent wrist issues that had been troubling her since last year.
The 2021 US Open champion went through what she described as minor surgery to remove bone spurs on her wrists, which had likely been causing her pain for the past eight months.
She also underwent a minor ankle procedure to resolve the recurring issues that plagued her since her extraordinary Grand Slam title triumph at Flushing Meadows.
She will, however, be back in action during the off-season in December after signing up for a new exhibition event in Macau, China. The invitational mixed-gender tournament will be held at the East Asian Games Dome, and several other top players have already confirmed their participation.
Emma Raducanu recently revealed on her Instagram stories that she was very close to competing in the 2023 Wimbledon Championships after undergoing the surgeries. The Brit posted a photo of herself doing the rice bucket workout, which is used to improve grip strength.
“Closest I was to participating this year @wimbledon,” Raducanu wrote.
“The tour is completely brutal” – Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu recently spoke with The Sunday Times about her injury, stating that the pain in her wrists worsened during last year’s Wimbledon. The pain extended beyond her physical health, impacting her mental well-being as well.
“The pain [in the wrists] escalated last summer after Wimbledon. I started with a new coach and I was really motivated to get going. We were over-training, a lot of repetition, and I carried on even through pain because I didn’t want to be perceived as weak,” Raducanu said.
“I was struggling with the physical pain but the mental side of it was really difficult for me too. I always want to put forward the best version of myself, or strive for that, but I knew I couldn’t,” she added.
The Brit also said that the emotions were too much at times and that she had to put up a front to keep going. She also believes that the WTA tour is brutal when it comes to making mistakes.
“I am very young and still learning and making mistakes. It is a lot harder when you are making mistakes in front of everyone and everyone has something to say about it. The tour is completely brutal,” she said.