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This is the inevitable end of this chapter of Emma Raducanu’s story.
After months of wrist injuries that limited her time on court and in matches, the pain finally became 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 from the game, with surgery on both her wrist and ankle revealing the physical issues she has been battling with the Bees in recent months.
«The last 10 months have been difficult because I have repeated injuries to the bones in both hands,» Raducanu wrote on Instagram alongside a photo after her surgery.
«I’ve done everything I can to manage the pain and to heal this year and at the end of last year by drastically reducing the training load, missing weeks of training and cutting last season.
“Unfortunately, it’s not enough. I am doing a little process on both hands to solve the problems.
“I’m sad to share that I’ll be out for the next few months and have another minor procedure on my ankle while I’m there.
“Missing the winter shows really hurts and I try to make light of it, so I’d like to thank all my fans who have supported me without knowing the truth.
«Looking forward to seeing you all there.»
The news is a blow to British fans of Radukan’s army as she will miss the LTA summer grass court events as well as the championships at Wimbledon.
Additionally, she may not return to the game for several months, and when she does return to the court, she will not be a member of the game’s top 100 and may start her career over.
Is that a problem?
Of course, surgery at this stage of the career is not ideal, but it has been clear for some time that Radukanu does not enjoy her life on the court or outside the house.
While injuries have undoubtedly affected her ambitions, her lack of time on the practice court has affected her hopes of success at major tournaments.
In the year Radukan’s US Open win in 2021 came after a long streak in the weeks before, with the quality of her match taking her into matches against experienced opponents.
Since that famous run in New York, Raducanu has struggled to play with the freedom that was so important to her US Open victory and now we wait to see if this break is the beginning of a new story for one of the game’s history. Big names.
Women’s tennis is looking for new stars and Raducanu has the potential to become a marquee name that will help drive the game even further for decades to come.
We can only hope that this unplanned break from the court will pave the way for a successful future for Raducanu.
Read more: Emma Raducanu misses Wimbledon as she goes under the knife
