Tennis News: Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu's injury-plagued year
Andy Murray recently admitted that he is one significant injury away from pulling the plug on his career. However, he believes he has been in his best form for a while
Emma Raducanu injury plagued yearThe 35-year-old former the World's number one underwent hip surgery in 2018 and 2019. Although he had an underwhelming season in 2022, he had a successful training stint with coach Ivan Lendl in Florida that has convinced the three-time Grand Slam champion that he is fit to compete against the tennis elite.
"If my body is in good shape and I'm still able to compete consistently, I'll keep playing," Murray shared. "But I can't look so far in advance with the age I'm at and with the issues, I've had. If I was to have a big injury, I probably wouldn't try to come back from that."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fi" dir="ltr">Highest-Paid Female Athletes in 2022, per Forbes: <br><br>1) Naomi Osaka: $51.1 million <br>2) Serena Williams: $41.3 million <br>3) Eileen Gu: $20.1 million <br>4) Emma Raducanu: $18.7 million <br>5) Iga Świątek: $14.9 million <br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/thebrettknight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thebrettknight</a>/<a href="https://twitter.com/JustBirny?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustBirny</a>) <br> <a href="https://t.co/IWhoqp4TUu">https://t.co/IWhoqp4TUu</a></p>— Mark J. Burns (@markjburns88) <a href="https://twitter.com/markjburns88/status/1605926535361269760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Murray only played 45 singles matches this year and won 26. He became a finalist in Stuttgart and Sydney, which helped him seal the 49th position in the ATP rankings.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former number one <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AndyMurray?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AndyMurray</a> is currently 49th in the ATP rankings after suffering several injuries during his career <a href="https://t.co/ZchLAPjKYu">https://t.co/ZchLAPjKYu</a></p>— Deccan Herald (@DeccanHerald) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeccanHerald/status/1605492065676173313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He improved his ranking from 125 to the 50s in a year. The Brit entered the third round of the US Open, which was the best he could do in a major this season.
His campaigns in other tournaments were derailed by injuries, including the 2022 Madrid Open, where he walked out due to a stomach illness. He also pulled out of the Queen's Club Championships after sustaining an injury in Stuttgart.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist hopes to exhibit improved performances at the Grand Slams in 2023. "I spent three weeks in Florida, getting my body right and getting some work done on my game and it went really well," he revealed.
He spoke about his practice sessions that mostly revolve around building his endurance and stamina, which should help his performance in the upcoming calendar year.
Will Emma Raducanu turn the tables next year?
Emma Raducanu termed a flop after a lacklustre season in tennis, is eager to prove the world wrong. This year, she couldn't make the best of her abilities due to her deteriorating mental health and injuries.
She was diagnosed with Covid-19 early into the season, followed by an injury on her left leg prompting the teenager to pull out of the Monterrey Open.
In March, she reported a blister issue and then a back injury derailed even her clay court season. During the last Grand Slam of the year, Raducanu failed to defend her title and then declared the end of her tennis year, citing a wrist injury after the Ostrava Open.
Now, the 20-year-old is training at Rafael Nadal's academy in Mallorca under the tutelage of her new coach. Raducanu has hired Sebastian Sachs, who has formerly trained top WTA stars like Belinda Bencic, Victoria Azarenka, and Julia Goerges.
She let Dmitry Tursunov return in October, and the Russian is now training Bencic. Besides the Rafa Nadal Academy, Sachs has worked at esteemed coach Riccardo Piatti's academy in Italy.
Due to his success among Germany's younger tennis stars, it is hoped that he is the perfect fit for Raducanu. In addition, he led Bencic to an Olympic gold medal and was experienced with high-level footwork and technique at a very young age.
His expertise may be helpful for Raducanu too. If that happens, we could see her thrive in 2023. When asked about her ambitions for New Year, Raducanu said, "For me, I really want to make inroads at any tournament."
"Slams, I love the big occasions, I love the big courts, the atmosphere. Any tournament for me, my goal is in 2023 to win a title." Now it remains to be seen whether she can fight injuries and have a fulfilling season."