By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, August 2, 2023
Emma Raducanu's painful season took a positively pleasurable turn today.
The 2021 US Open champion returned to court for her first formal practice since undergoing surgery to both wrists and her left ankle in May.
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Raducanu looked fit in this hit with compatriot Kyle Edmund she posted on social media.
"August 2nd, THE FUN PART. 1st time back on court ♥️😆" Raducanu captioned her Instagram post.
The 150th-ranked Briton made history as the first player—man or woman—to play through qualifying and capture a Grand Slam singles title at the 2021 US Open.
The experience accelerated Raducanu's learning curve and, she said, exposed her to the "sharks" within the sport.
"I had to mature very quickly," Raducanu told The Sunday Times. "When I won I was extremely naive. What I have realized in the past two years, the tour and everything that comes with it, it's not a very nice, trusting and safe space.
"You have to be on guard because there are a lot of sharks out there. I think people in the industry, especially with me because I was 19, now 20, they see me as a piggy bank."
'It has been difficult to navigate. I have been burnt a few times. I have learned, keep your circle as small as possible."
Since capturing the 2021 US Open, the 128th-ranked Raducanu has been riddled with injury and cycled through several coaches. Raducanu, who has posted a 24-27 record since her remarkable Flushing Meadows triumph, said adapting to life on the WTA Tour has been both a physical and mental challenge.
Photo credit: Matthew Calvis