Emma Raducanu admitted it was an unfortunate end to her Auckland campaign, but noted that she left New Zealand with «some good memories». The 20-year-old Raducanu made her debut at the ASB Classic in the first week of the 2023 season.
After beating Linda Fruhvirtova in the first round in Auckland, Raducanu was forced to withdraw from her round of 16 match against Viktoria Kuzmova after badly spraining her ankle. «A (sad emoji) ends but I’m still leaving New Zealand with some great memories – here are some from last week’s beach afternoon up north after practice,» Raducanu wrote in the Twitter post. her.
A 😢 finish, but I’m still leaving New Zealand with some great memories – here are some from last week’s beach afternoon up north after practice 🧀 🫶♥️🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/FSXmTC17Tg —Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) January 7, 2023
Raducanu will go to Melbourne, but his status at the Australian Open is up in the air
Raducanu, who focused on getting stronger in the offseason, was visibly dejected after suffering an injury in her first tournament of the season.
Due to persistent rain, the Auckland organizers moved Raducanu’s match against Kuzmova indoors. After Raducanu sprained her ankle, she said she wasn’t surprised with the injury she sustained as the indoor courts were «incredibly slippery.»
“It is difficult to accept. I have put in a lot of physical work in the last few months and I have been feeling good and optimistic. So to be stopped for a freak injury, rolling an ankle is pretty disappointing, also in the first week.
I thought I was playing some pretty decent tennis. The courts are incredibly slippery, very slippery, so to be honest it’s not a surprise that this has happened to someone. It’s out of my control and after a long day of waiting,» Raducanu said after the match.
According to reports from Britain, Raducanu and his team have decided to go to Melbourne. However, his status at the Australian Open is still up in the air. Raducanu and his team hope his ankle injury is just a minor sprain.
The Australian Open begins on January 16 and it remains to be seen if Raducanu will be fit enough to play at Melbourne Park.
