Sadly, it has become something of a predictable and regrettable story for Emma Raducanu these days in terms of not being able to build any momentum in her career following her stunning US Open victory in 2021. Since those heady days in the Grand Apple, the reality is that Raducanu’s career has been a stop-start affair. Additionally, a premature ankle injury sustained during the ASB Classic in Auckland indicates that the quest to return to her top form will continue as questions linger as to where the star will go from here.
Ultimately, getting injured in the first event of a calendar year is the worst time to do it because of the psychological damage that comes from having to sit on the treatment table while other players start fast making their mark in the early stages of the competition. season.
Also, when you consider that Raducanu is, in all likelihood, frustrated about the setbacks he’s suffered more than most in the past 18 months, you can begin to better understand how difficult it will be to not be in top physical shape at the Australian Open. for her to internalize.
However, the inescapable truth is that some of Raducanu’s problems are of her own making. Put another way, the injury has gone hand-in-hand with erratic decision-making and a tendency to let others run her career from the outside. Before looking into the possible causes of this seemingly never-ending rut Raducanu finds himself in, it’s worth focusing on the New York miracle of September 2021 to better appreciate just how low this Grand Slam champion has sunk.