Britain’s Emma Raducanu says she feels “reborn” as she prepares to make her tennis return in Auckland after eight months on the sidelines.
The 2021 US Open champion performed simply 9 matches in 2023, having been out of motion since April.
Raducanu, 21, had surgical procedure on each palms and her left ankle in Could, and has dropped to 298th on this planet rankings.
She was provided a wildcard for subsequent week’s Auckland Traditional and has drawn a qualifier within the first spherical.
“I really feel reborn in a manner. I really feel contemporary, I really feel prepared, I really feel blissful and I really feel excited,” she stated.
“Total, I am feeling constructive and lighter. I feel that for 2 years after the US Open I felt possibly a bit extra weight on my shoulders, however now I really feel utterly contemporary.”
Ought to she win her first match in Auckland, Raducanu – who has entered the match with a protected rating – will face Danish former world primary Caroline Wozniacki or Ukrainian Elina Svitolina within the second spherical.
However the former world quantity 10 should undergo qualifying to succeed in the primary draw of the Australian Open, with the primary Grand Slam match of 2024 beginning on 14 January.
