Emma Raducanu says she feels 'reborn' and ready for 2024

Emma Raducanu wasn't expected to win the US Open at 18 years old but she did just that in 2021. She rose as high as No. 10 on the WTA tour and looked ready to challenge for Grand Slams and titles for years. But then the injuries began and she simply could not play.

Raducanu had surgery on both wrists in 2023 and her ankle as well. She played just 10 matches in 2023, and none after April. Her record for the year was 5-5 and she currently sits at 298 in the WTA rankings. But she is preparing to play at the Australian Open and part of that is participating in the WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand next week.

Ahead of the tournament, Raducanu told media that she feels "reborn" and thinks she is a better tennis player now than she was before the injury break. Now she just needs to prove it. She was placed in the tough end of the draw for the ASB Classic, however. While top seed Coco Gauff is in the top half of the draw, Raducanu potentially has to face players such as Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina, and Xinyu Wang.

Emma Raducanu says she is better now than before her injury break

Raducanu is capable of beating all of those players. Heck, she is capable of defeating Coco Gauff. But only if Raducanu is near top form and maintains her health. At just 21 years old, she hopefully has a lot of tennis left to play in her career. She says she is ready as well.

She told the media ahead of the ASB Classic, "I feel reborn in a way. I feel fresh, ready, happy, excited. Overall, l’m feeling positive and lighter. I think for two years after the US Open, I felt a bit more weight on my shoulders. Now I feel fresh."

Raducanu is good for tennis. She plays with passion but also has a quick smile. She is good with fans off the court as well. Plus, women's tennis could use a few more rivalries, just as men's tennis does. Potential showdowns of Emma Raducanu versus Iga Swiatek or Coco Gauff, both players 22 years or under, for the next decade would make for fascinating tennis. Let's just hope Raducanu can stay healthy.

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