Emma Raducanu, the British No. 1, has been observed practicing in an orthopedic boot while recuperating in the Swiss Alps. This comes as the US Open, her next major tournament, approaches in less than a month. Raducanu, who has experienced a season marked by intermittent injuries, described her current break as the “best reset ever,” yet her use of the protective boot has sparked concern among her supporters.
Injury Setbacks Mar Promising Season
Raducanu’s 2023 season has seen flashes of brilliance interspersed with significant injury setbacks. Following a post-viral illness that disrupted her clay-court campaign, she returned to the grass season, reaching the final at Queen’s Club before a close match against Donna Vekic. However, her momentum was halted by a grade-four stress fracture sustained shortly after the final. This injury forced her withdrawal from Wimbledon, where she was pictured wearing the protective boot during the tournament’s opening rounds.
The former US Open champion has been staying at the luxurious Grand Hotel Suvretta House in St. Moritz, a five-star establishment in the Swiss resort. The hotel offers amenities such as tennis courts, a spa, and proximity to alpine trails and Lake Sils, promoting a “luxury fitness retreat” environment. Despite the picturesque and recuperative setting, Raducanu’s continued practice in the boot, particularly on the hotel’s clay courts rather than the hard courts of the US Open, has raised questions about her readiness for the upcoming Grand Slam.
Social Media Updates and Ranking Implications
Raducanu has shared updates on social media, including a video of herself practicing her serve while wearing the boot, humorously perched atop a rubbish bin. She captioned the post, “Not in the bin but on the bin,” adding a winking emoji.
Her withdrawal from Wimbledon, just before the event, resulted in a loss of ranking points, as she could not defend those earned from reaching the third round the previous year. Looking ahead to the US Open, Raducanu faces a challenging scenario. Having previously built her hard-court season with strong performances in Washington, Montreal, and Cincinnati, the points from those tournaments are also set to expire. Currently ranked 49th, she is projected to drop out of the top 50. Furthermore, she risks losing her position as British No. 1 to Katie Boulter, who is closely trailing in rankings. Without a seeded berth, Raducanu may also face a difficult opening-round draw at Flushing Meadows.
Fellow British Player Jack Draper Faces Similar Injury Woes
Raducanu’s recovery mirrors the challenges faced by fellow British player Jack Draper. Draper, who was ranked world No. 5 last year, has also been hampered by a series of injuries throughout his early summer comeback. These issues led to his withdrawal from Wimbledon and a late pull-out from the Mubadala DC Open in Washington. Draper, coached by Andy Murray, has spoken about the complexity of his injury and the need for patience.
“It’s important for people to recognise that the injury I have is very complex, it’s very complicated and everyone around me is doing everything we can to help this keep moving along,” Draper told Sky Sports. “It’s not as simple as ‘rest and heal up and you’ll come back and you’ll be fine.’ Everything outside of tennis I’m doing amazingly well, everything on the court I’m managing really well too, so I’m at a point now where I’m happy that I will come through this period. It’s just going to take some time, but I’m doing all the right things, and the people around me are really supporting me.”
Looking Ahead to the US Open
With the hard-court season now in full swing, the focus remains on Raducanu’s recovery and preparation for the US Open. Her time in the Swiss Alps, though seemingly a “reset,” is overshadowed by the ongoing need to manage her physical condition. The tennis world will be watching closely to see if she can overcome these injury concerns and return to peak form for the final Grand Slam of the year.
