Emma Raducanu wins the first match after coming from long hiatus

• Raducanu wins the comeback match vs. Ruse.
• She made a strong start in the match.
• A forced break due to wrist and ankle surgeries caused a ranking drop.

Emma Raducanu triumphed over Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in her much awaited comeback from injury, which kept the British star out of action for 269 days.

Raducanu had a difficult time following her triumph as a qualifier in the US Open of 2021 because of a string of ailments that hindered her development. Due to these disappointments, she was forced to take a long break from the sport, which caused her global ranking to fall to 283.

In the first round of the Australian event on Tuesday, the 21-year-old made her comeback. She got out to a fast start and won the first set 6-3, but in the second set, Ruse rallied to tie the match. It was a closely contested third set. Raducanu, but, persevered to win 7–5 and move on.

Raducanu ended her season early last year due to surgery for two wrist injuries and a problem with her left ankle. Her opponent broke her even though she had a 6-4 lead and could have won the last set.

But Raducanu pulled herself together and retaliated. Raducanu finally sealed the victory, despite the fact that Ruse forced her to a deuce in the decisive game. The 21-year-old was given a wildcard admission into the competition, which was the same one where she was injured last year on her ankle. Prior to the confrontation with Ruse, she indicated her delight despite the difficulties.

“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.”

Raducanu has made an amazing recovery, but she has to play through the qualifying rounds for the Australian Open because she did not obtain a wildcard.

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