As her hopes of featuring at the 2023 Australian Open hang in the balance, Emma Raducanu has lashed out at the "very slippery" conditions that led to her latest injury.
Raducanu, 20, was set to begin the third set of her second-round clash against Viktoria Kuzmova at the ASB Classic in Auckland on Thursday when a rolled ankle forced her withdrawal. Rain delays put a hold on the match before organisers eventually made the decision to move it indoors.
However, the indoor courts at the ASB Tennis Centre had not been resurfaced prior to this year's tournament. Raducanu understandably left the tournament in tears at the prospect of seeing her Australian Open end before its even begun, with only 11 days to go before the first Grand Slam of 2023.
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“It’s difficult to take,” the 2021 U.S. Open champion told Stuff.co.nz following her withdrawal in New Zealand. “I’ve put a lot of physical work in the last few months and I’ve been feeling good and optimistic.
“So to be stopped by a freak injury, rolling an ankle is pretty disappointing, in the first week as well. I thought I was playing some pretty decent tennis.
“The courts are incredibly slick, like very slippery, so to be honest it’s not a surprise that this happened to someone. It’s out of my control and after a very long day of waiting around. But we’ll assess over the next few days and see what the next steps are.”
It's hardly the first time Raducanu has seen her plans interrupted by injury or illness. The Briton started 2022 with a second-round defeat to Danka Kovinic at the Australian Open having been hampered by hand blisters in the build-up.
Her year was later affected by hip, back, abdominal and glute injuries that forced withdrawals either during or before the first rounds of numerous competitions. Raducanu was set to take part in the Transylvania Open in October, but another blow to her wrist forced a premature conclusion to 2022.
Although Raducanu was made to feel "really welcome and at home" thanks to the fans in Auckland, she added there were parts of the ASB Classic she felt "could have been organised better." Many will question why the indoor courts were not resurfaced prior to the tournament given Auckland's forecast for rain, with potential Australian Open absentee Raducanu likely to be at the head of that queue.
