Raducanu Fully Prepared After Recovering from Back Injury

Emma Raducanu Ready for Australian Open

Emma Raducanu says she is "ready to go" against the world's best at the Australian Open after recovering from a back spasm which disrupted her preparations. The British number two goes into the opening Grand Slam of the season having not played competitively since the Billie Jean King Cup in November.

Challenging Recovery

Raducanu, 22, was forced to withdraw from the Auckland International at the end of December after suffering the spasm when she bent to tie her shoelace. Her first match of the new season will be against Russian 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Melbourne first round.

Confidence and Preparation

"I feel good. I feel healthy and feel I've been training well. I'm prepared and ready to go," said Raducanu, who is ranked 60th in the world. "I think I can be a dangerous opponent for anyone really. You have to kind of have that belief as a player. It's not really worth going on court if you don't believe you can win."

Building on Past Success

Raducanu is looking to build on a 2024 season in which she made encouraging progress following surgeries on her wrists and ankle. However, the injury issues which have blighted her - for most of the time since she stunned the world to win the 2021 US Open as a teenage qualifier - also continued.

Learning from Past Mistakes

At last year's US Open, a lack of match action led to a rusty first-round exit and a tearful admission afterwards that it was a "lesson learned." Raducanu, who employed Yutaka Nakamura as a full-time fitness coach in December, expressed confidence in her current training regimen.

Building Confidence

In a bid to negate the lack of match practice, Raducanu has played sets against sixth seed Elena Rybakina of Croatia and former world number four Caroline Garcia of France. "Stepping out with them is great... to see and measure your game and where it is at," she said.

Conclusion

As Emma Raducanu heads into the Australian Open, she is determined to showcase her skills and compete at the highest level. With a focus on preparation and confidence, she aims to overcome past challenges and make a mark in the tournament.