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Samantha Stosur: hand injury roadblocks her tour schedule

By Gale Moorman

Aug 30, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Samantha Stosur of Australia returns a shot to Camila Giorgi of Italy (not pictured) on day two of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Samantha Stosur of Australia returns a shot to Camila Giorgi of Italy (not pictured) on day two of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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Samantha Stosur is preparing for healing and rehab as soon as possible. Stress fractures in her right hand put her 2017 tour in doubt.

Tennis players know injuries come with the joys of playing professional tennis. Some are short-lived while others are not.

"“It happened during the French (Open) since then, I’ve literally done nothing. It is still pretty sore and swollen… I can’t do too much with it”, Stosur said realistically.More from Lob and SmashCaroline Wozniacki gets her wild card for the Australian OpenTennis News: Rafael Nadal, Emma Raducanu and protected rankingsMartina Navratilova: Money lost by coming out was in the ‘millions’Tennis News: Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios and Matteo BerrettiniBoris Becker and Rick Macci bicker over Carlos Alcaraz"

It happened in the fourth round of the French during the first set at 5-1. Stosur’s opponent was the Latvian player and now title holder Jelena Ostapenko.

Samantha Stosur thought she’d had the set, but the pain became intense and to get through the match, she had to start hitting backhands and any type of shots that would let up on the pain. The match was called ‘a miss’ and Stosur went to have a consultation with doctors out in Melbourne.

The diagnosis confirmed a stress fracture of her right hand.

"“Everything was going really good… I felt physically really good and was getting through my matches…this just came out of nowhere…and now I’m not able to play.” said Stosur."

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The injury is a muscle condition and after taking an MRI, the scan showed a tear between the second and third fingers. Stosur’s chances of continuing the French Open had ended but the way she was playing before the injury, she considered herself a contender for the Roland Garros title.

Stosur was looked upon as the top-ranked Australian female player on the WTA tour. She is ranked No. 34 and now wonders how long she will miss action due to the injury. Stosur will indeed miss playing Wimbledon and hasn’t missed a Grand Slam appearance since the Australian Open in 2008 when she had contracted Lyme Disease.

She now has withdrawn from the Eastbourne event and will miss all of the grass court season swing, including Wimbledon, and some of the hard court season. Samantha Stosur feels very disappointed about the injury and how her playing schedule will be affected.

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"She has to be grateful though that it’s not worse and says “I had a pretty good run, I guess, so I’ve got to look at it on the positive side”."

It’s unpredictable as to when she’ll get back on court, but it will surely be a relief, not only for her team, fans and the tennis community, but for Stosur herself.

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