Emma Raducanu names Chinese icon as inspiration growing up as the Briton keeps fans awaiting her return
Emma Raducanu might make a comeback by the end of 2023
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Emma Raducanu (Credits: WTA)
Emma Raducanu is accelerating her recovery as she continues to develop her game in China. Last month, the British player was seen on the Shenyang practice courts. She appears to have taken up residence there as she prepares to make a comeback on the WTA Tour.
Her mother’s hometown is in the northeastern Chinese city. Raducanu acknowledges that the main reasons for her trip there were to visit her family and “re-immerse herself in the culture”.
She told Porsche: “I really love it here in China. I would spend three weeks here every summer since before I can remember and to be back here feels so comforting.”
The former US Open champion revealed that China has had a significant impact on her game. The British tennis ace admits that Li Na served as her inspiration while she was growing up. She said, “Li Na was a big inspiration to me growing up; I liked admiring her resilient mindset and athletic footwork.”
Related: Emma Raducanu faces backlash for posting a picture of Chinese communist Mao Zedong on Weibo
Emma Raducanu hints at her return
The 20-year-old star is getting ready to play tennis competitively again and will make an appearance at an exhibition tournament in Cotai, Macau, this year.
‘Emma Raducanu Fans’, a Twitter user, informed the British player’s followers that she had begun her training on the practice courts in Shenyang, China. The 20-year-old is shown in one of the photos honing her serve on the outside hard courts of an unnamed academy.
The unrealistic demands placed on the British player didn’t help her much, as she lost 19 of her 36 matches in the 2022 season, including a first-round elimination at the New York Slam because of her chronic wrist ailment.
Her 2023 season got off to a bad start as well due to a left ankle ailment and a case of tonsillitis that prevented her from playing at a high level.
Emma Raducanu played her final match in April 2023 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix against Jelena Ostapenko. She was then forced to withdraw from the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid and ultimately decided to skip the summer due to wrist discomfort.
Since then, the 20-year-old has had surgery on both of her wrists as well as her ankle. If her post-operation rehabilitation goes smoothly, fans may be treated to her comeback at the MGM Macau Tennis Masters in December.
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Tanisha Kapoor
(160 Articles Published)