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Emma Raducanu will return to the Grand Slam stage at the 2024 Australian Open after a 12-month gap. The period saw her undergo multiple surgeries, but she is now back to her healthy self.
Being away from the tennis court and in recovery, however, has left a lasting impression on her. Speaking to the media during the pre-tournament press conference, the youngster opened up about the rough period.
Raducanu recalled needing a scooter to move around after her ankle surgery and not being able to do simple things like send a text message after the wrist operations, adding that she chose to have the procedures in quick succession so she did not miss a lot of time on the court.
"Yeah, I think because when you realize in my case, for example, I had two wrists and ankle all in very close succession so I could have the minimal time off possible," Emma Raducanu said. "Each one is two weeks of no sweating at all."
"For a period of time, I had a scooter to move around. I couldn't, like, text, anything," she added.
Elaborating on the emotional impact, Raducanu said not being able to move your own body puts a lot of things into perspective. The 21-year-old went on to encourage everyone to appreciate being healthy more.
"It just puts things into perspective," Emma Raducanu said at a pre-match press conference. "The feeling of not being able to move your body, like to walk to the kitchen to get a snack, for example, I couldn't do it. And you miss it."
"You don't really realize until you go through it yourself, no matter how many different athletes say, Be grateful, appreciate being healthy. Like, of course it's nice to hear, nice to say, but I feel until you actually experience it yourself, it's different," she added.
"Success to me is to play a full season, to be healthy throughout" - Emma Raducanu
Looking ahead, Emma Raducanu said her long-term goal was to stay healthy and play the full season in 2024. The youngster said she knew her level was getting back to where she would like it to be, adding that finding consistency was the key for her.
"Yeah, I think success to me in the long-term is, for the rest of the year, to play a full season, to be healthy throughout, to be able to train consistent weeks," Emma Raducanu said, via the aforementioned source. "I know my level is there, I just need to keep working on it to make it more consistent."
Charting the course, Raducanu said she will feel more confident about her prospects after logging more hours in the gym training and being out on the court.
"I think that will come with time in the gym, time on court, being able to play the calendar, not thinking about, Will I have to pull out from this one, does that hurt. Just being able to go consistently throughout the year," the Brit added.
The Brit will open her Australian Open campaign with a first-round encounter against Shelby Rogers. The 31-year-old American, much like her opponent, has also used a protected ranking to secure entry into the main draw.
