Emma Raducanu emerged victorious against Elena-Gabriela Ruse with a scoreline of 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 on her eagerly anticipated return from injury, during which the British sensation was absent for 269 days.
Since claiming victory as a qualifier in the 2021 US Open, Raducanu faced a challenging period marked by a series of injuries impeding her progress. These setbacks compelled her to take an extended hiatus from the sport, resulting in her world ranking plummeting to 283.
The 21-year-old marked her comeback on Tuesday in the initial round of the Australian tournament. She commenced strongly, securing the first set 6-3, but Ruse mounted a comeback to level the match in the second set. The third set was closely contested. However, Raducanu held firm to secure a 7-5 victory and advance.
Having undergone surgeries to address two wrist injuries and an issue with her left ankle, Raducanu concluded her previous season prematurely. Despite having an opportunity to claim the final set with a 6-4 score, her opponent managed to break her.
However, Raducanu regained her composure, breaking back. Although Ruse took her to a deuce in the final game, Raducanu ultimately sealed the win. The 21-year-old received a wildcard entry into the tournament, the same event where she suffered an ankle injury the previous year. Despite the challenges, she expressed her excitement leading up to the clash with Ruse.
"I feel reborn in a way. I feel fresh, ready, happy, excited. Overall I’m feeling positive and lighter. I actually think I’m a better tennis player than I was before the break. In practice over the last few weeks, I’m hitting the ball really well," Raducanu remarked.
"Physically I’m pushing things that I wasn’t doing before. In my body, I actually have confidence, which is really nice, and tennis-wise I feel good, too. It was so hard, especially the first few months.
"When you’re so used to being active and moving around all the time, then to all of a sudden have everything just cut off from you. I had two wrists and one foot injured, so I couldn’t even use crutches. It was difficult being that immobile. But it reignited the fire to get back out there competing."
Despite her impressive comeback, Raducanu has not received a wildcard for the Australian Open, necessitating her to go through the qualifying rounds.
