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Tennis fans have come forward with words of encouragement for Emma Raducanu after she suffered a horrific ankle injury at Auckland's ASB Classic on Thursday.
Ever since creating history at the 2021 US Open, the 20-year-old has failed to add to her singles title tally due to multiple injuries and mid-match retirements amid frequent changes in the coaching staff. She ended her 2022 season earlier than expected as well, injuring her wrist in October.
Raducanu started preparing for the new season soon after in the hope of staying fit and playing as many tournaments as possible. However, during her second-round match at the WTA 250 event against 134th-ranked Viktoria Kuzmova of Slovakia, the Brit rolled her ankle and left the court in tears. This puts her Australian Open participation in doubt, which begins in less than two weeks.
Raducanu dominated the first set with a 6-0 score but lost the second 7-5. After a medical timeout following her injury in the second set, she retired from the match. While some fans criticized her for getting injured yet again, there were plenty who backed her to recover and return quickly.
"Very tough on Raducanu, difficult to see her making #AusOpen with it only being a couple of weeks away. Worked tirelessly to physically prepare herself for a full season, started off the year playing very well then rolls her ankle. Sport is cruel at times," a fan tweeted.
"It has clearly been very difficult in dealing with the pressure and expectation that comes with being a Grand Slam champion at such a young age. Someone needs to put an arm around her and protect her. I fear for her mental health," a user posted.
"Bad luck Emma Raducanu but at your age things like this heal pretty quickly. Keep up the fitness work in the gym and see how things are in a few days. Disappointing, but not the end of the world," another tweet read.
Here are some more reactions:
"It’s not a surprise that this happened to someone" - Emma Raducanu criticizes ASB Classic indoor courts
Emma Raducanu's ankle injury came after her match against Viktoria Kuzmova was shifted indoors due to heavy rains. The Brit slammed the organizers for the slippery indoor courts after the match, saying that it had to happen to someone eventually. She stated that her team will observe and soon make a decision for the Australian Open.
“I thought I was playing some pretty decent tennis. The courts are incredibly slick, like very slippery. To be honest, it’s not a surprise that this happened to someone. It’s out of my control. But we’ll assess over the next few days and see what the next steps are," she said.
