Australian Open: Emma Raducanu fit despite injury scare | 'Grateful' for support of 'role model' Harry Kane
Emma Raducanu suffered an injury scare in Auckland but says she is ready for the Australian Open and credited her team for the recovery. She faces German Tamara Korpatsch in the first round at Melbourne Park.
Sunday 15 January 2023 09:58, UK
Emma Raducanu is fit and ready for the Australian Open after a "team effort" helped her recover from an ankle injury.
The British No 1's participation in the first Grand Slam of 2023 was thrown into doubt after she rolled her ankle during a second-round tie at the ASB Classic in August and left the court in tears.
However the 2021 US Open will be fit for her first round match at Melbourne Park against Germany's Tamara Korpatsch after building up her fitness on the practice court during the week.
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"In the match, obviously, at the time, you're a bit worried about it. When you just go over, you don't really know what's going on," Raducanu said ahead of Monday's game.
"But we've been working very hard. It's been a team effort to get me to this place. We've definitely expedited the process but I'm feeling really good and looking forward to getting out on the court. It's just a huge, huge props to my team, really here and back home, who have helped get me to this place."
Raducanu has physio Will Herbert, who was part of her team when she won the US Open, with her again and the pair have been putting in the hours off court to get the 20-year-old ready, although the schedule was not kind with the match first up on the opening day.
"I started practising midweek and we've been building it up pretty gradually. But I think that I've not really played much tennis ever in my career so I'm kind of used to it. And I'm not stressed about lack of tennis that much.
"I think that I was feeling in a really good place mentally. In my tennis I was like, 'yeah, this is going well'. I think I was a bit shocked initially but then it didn't take anything away from how I'm feeling about the season.
"And I feel really, really good actually. I just can't wait to get out there on the court this year. I think that I'm setting things up really nicely with the way my team is looking at the moment. And I'm just buzzing to start and get going."
Raducanu grateful for 'role model' Kane
Raducanu feels lucky to have England captain Harry Kane in her corner as she looks to take the next steps in her professional career, with the British No 1 continuing to adjust to the intense spotlight thrown her way since her remarkable US Open triumph.
Speaking to other athletes who have been through something similar has proved helpful, and it was revealed a couple of months ago that Kane is someone she can dial up for advice and support.
Raducanu, who trained in a Tottenham shirt last year, told the PA news agency: "Harry's obviously such a great role model and very professional and I think to be able to speak to him is really cool.
"We haven't spoken so much but he's obviously an outstanding player and it's just pretty cool isn't it. For someone of his achievements, it's pretty remarkable how he's so humble. I respect him a lot.
"It's obviously really cool to speak to some other athletes. I think it's good because we all kind of understand what each other are thinking and going through at times. And at the end of the day they're just really cool people as well."
While most of her off-season was spent working hard on her physical conditioning and preparing for Australia, she was also invited to the FIFA World Cup final in Doha after playing an exhibition in Abu Dhabi.
She relished watching Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe live up to their billing, saying: "I think watching it as an athlete you probably have a little bit of empathy as to what they're feeling and what they're thinking in those pressure situations and moments.
"I think you appreciate a lot more what they're able to do under such circumstances. But then you also have a little bit of envy of, 'Oh, I wish I was playing a tennis match on this scale with all this support'. The atmosphere was insane in the stadium. I've never heard anything like it."
