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Emma Raducanu is relieved she was able to return to the Mubadala Tennis Championship 2022 after a 'shocker' last year.
The 20-year-old Briton contracted COVID-19 just three days before her campaign opener against Belinda Bencic last year. Raducanu was replaced by Ons Jabeur, who went on to beat Bencic in a match tie-break to win the exhibition event.
Emma Raducanu said as she withdrew from the event last year:
“I was very much looking forward to playing in front of the fans here in Abu Dhabi, but unfortunately after testing positive for Covid-19, I will have to postpone until the next opportunity.”
A year later, the 2021 US Open champion finally hit the courts in Abu Dhabi as she began her preparations for the 2023 season in earnest.
However, she lost to Jabeur in a match tie-break in the final. Despite the setback, Raducanu was glad she could simply "move out of her hotel room."
She said:
"I'm so glad this year I was able to make it out of the hotel room. Last year, I had a bit of a shocker. Amazing to play here in front of all of you, this is Ons’ house so thank you for having me."
The 20-year-old added that her preparations for the new season have been going well. Raducanu said:
"I’ve just been building in the gym, started getting back on court recently in the last two weeks, so I'm glad to be making some progressions and looking forward to 2023."
The match against Jabeur was Raducanu's first in nearly three months.
How did Emma Raducanu fare in 2022?
Emma Raducanu was expected to have a breakout 2022 season after scripting a fairy-tale triumph at the 2021 US Open. The then teenager emerged through qualifying and went all the way at Flushing Meadows, becoming the first qualifier — male or female — in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam.
The Briton, however, had an underwhelming 2022 season, winning only 17 of her 36 matches and reaching two quarterfinals and a semifinal. On her return to the scene of her remarkable triumph, Raducanu crashed out in the first round at Flushing Meadows.
She ended her season with a straight-sets loss to Daria Kasatkina in the opening round of the Ostrava Open in Czech Republic in early October. Raducanu will close the year at number 76 in the world after breaking into the top ten in July. However, with very few points to defend next year, she will look to return to the top of the women's game.
