British teen tennis player Emma Raducanu has a bleak future in the sport
She has suffered numerous injuries this season
She hasn’t gone beyond the second round of any major tournament
British teen tennis player Emma Raducanu has a bleak future in the sport owing to her run with injuries since the start of the 2022 season.
This is according to findings by a survey conducted by Express Sport. The readers polled say that injuries may derail her career. Her most persistent injury are blisters on her palms which started at the Australian Open. Her physiotherapist advised her to duct tape the blisters and carry on.
Also, she has had terrible times battling side strains, as well as hip and back problems. Respondents in the survey now believe she will not win another Grand Slam.
This means her achievement at the 2021 US Open could be her only major success.
British teen player Emma Raducanu. Photo by Tennis Majors
Raducanu captured the nation’s attention last year as she raced to victory at Flushing Meadow without dropping a set. She became the first British woman to win a Grand Slam since Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in 1977.
Her victory was all the more amazing because she had to qualify for it. She became the first singles qualifier in Grand Slam history to win a major tournament.
Her efforts this season, however, have left much to be desired. Raducanu failed to go past the second round of any major and has lost more than half of all matches she has engaged in during 2022.
She is now ranked No. 80 in the world, having dropped from No. 10 earlier this year.
Injuries haven’t helped matters, as he’s had back and leg problems throughout the year. Her most recent injury was to her wrist, which forced her to miss the Transylvania Open this year, a tournament near her heart because her father is Romanian.
With her injury record history, she will not take part in more competitions this year. She will instead focus on getting back to her best form in 2023.
Emma Raducanu Korean Open. Photo by Eurosport
Fans and readers believe that her injuries could derail her career which peaked magically and everyone hoped she sustain this spark.
This might have a significant impact on her Grand Slam chances, which readers also believe are poor, with 77% saying ‘No’ when asked if Raducanu will ever win another Grand Slam.
Former women’s No. 1 Kim Clijsters, on the other hand, believes Raducanu will return to the top, with her present downturn providing an opportunity to start over.
“She’s young, she’s a very smart girl, she’s a very talented player, works hard, has an open mindset to learn and to improve so she has all the ingredients to become a good player, it’s just taken her a little time to adjust,” Clijsters told Eurosport.
With the loss of the ranking points she gained by winning last year’s Grand Slam, Raducanu remains upbeat about doing better. She says that she is proud of herself for putting herself out there in every match and giving her best.
Some tennis pundits say that she will rebound and all she needs is time to gain footing once again. The 19-year-old has in the past spoken of the pressure by the media and fans to stay on top of the game since her 2021 US Open victory.
Teresa is a journalist with years of experience in creating web content. She is a wanderlust at heart, but an outgoing sports writer with focus on tennis, athletics, football, motorsports and NBA.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login