© Getty Images Sport – Darrian Traynor
WTA icon and founder Billie Jean King is rooting for Emma Raducanu to make a successful comeback and advised the 20-year-old to return only when she returns to being fully healthy. Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, had surgeries on both wrists and her right ankle in May.
Prior to undergoing multiple surgeries, Raducanu was constantly dealing with injuries and setbacks – which negatively impacted her game and results. Raducanu hasn’t played since April and the Briton hasn’t yet officially confirmed that she will be ready to play at the start of the 2024 season. “We need Raducanu to be healthy, No 1.
She’s a great person. She’s interested in the world around her, she can speak more than one language – she can speak Chinese because her mother’s Chinese. She’s somebody who I think is interesting as a human being. I’m interested in her next chapter and I want her to be really healthy so she can play tennis, because I know she loves to play.
We’ll see how that goes. You’ve got to be healthy. If you’re not, you shouldn’t play, so I think they’ve done the right thing this year,” King told Sky Sports.
King advises Raducanu to return only when she is fully healthy
After returning to the gym in July, Raducanu also started practicing again in August.
In July, Raducanu was also announced for the MGM Macau Tennis Masters in Macau – a Chinese exhibition event that is set to take place between December 02-03. In September, Raducanu confirmed to BBC London that she is planning on returning to the WTA Tour in 2024.
“Next season I’ll be back. This season all the slams were finished so it was difficult to watch them go by but I was trying to stay in my lane as much as possible and keep focused on my recovery,” Raducanu said. It remains to be seen if Raducanu will play in China next month and also be ready for the start of the 2024 season.
