Raducanu pulls out of December exhibition match

Emma Raducanu hasn't competed in any tournaments since her defeat to Jelena Ostapenko with a score of 6-2 6-1 back in April during the Stuttgart Open.

Emma Raducanu from the UK has decided to withdraw from a showcase game in Macau in early December on account of her ongoing recovery from surgical procedures performed on her hands and feet.

The winner of the 2021 US Open, who is celebrating their 21st birthday today, has been inactive since April. Nevertheless, they are optimistic about their plans to make a comeback to the circuit in January.

The China exhibit arrived earlier than expected, which was problematic because the organizers were still searching for a potential substitute.

Raducanu currently holds the 289th position in the world rankings, but is eligible to use a protected ranking of 103 next year due to her inactivity for over six months.

She may have achieved a decent ranking to qualify for the Australian Open, but it's probable that she will require a wildcard entry for the WTA Tour tournaments in Brisbane and Auckland in the season's opening week.

Raducanu only played nine matches in 2023, and she received surgery in May for her injured left ankle and both hands. She sustained the injuries during the first event of the year in Auckland.

Her wrist has been causing her discomfort since the completion of the 2022 sports season due to an adjacent bone.

In early August, Raducanu made a comeback to the tennis court, where she engaged in some gentle exercises. She even shared a clip of herself hitting large tennis balls that were not too hard with Kyle Edmund. This took place at the National Tennis Centre in London.

During the initial two months, Raducanu didn't make much progress and decided to make a trip to China to visit her grandma. However, things began to get more organized when the LTA team at the National Tennis Centre started guiding her at the beginning of October, which led to a more structured effort in returning to tour competition.

If Raducanu's recovery process was delayed up to this point - and somebody who was watching described her summer months as a "kind of unknown situation" - it seems like some real improvement has been achieved recently.

The person has been working with tennis balls that come in various colors that kids typically use in the beginning. They begin with the red ball, which is soft and doesn't bounce much, then move on to the orange and green ones before finally using the regular yellow ball.

So far, there aren't any indications that Raducanu is building a support system that would provide her with a sense of security and self-assurance as she comes back to playing on the tour.

Right after undergoing three operations, Raducanu declared that it wasn't practical to continue working with Sebastian Sachs due to certain conditions. She still hasn't found a coach to work with.

She had a brief collaboration with the previous trainer of Andy Murray, who was responsible for his strength and conditioning, however that has ended now. As of the moment, she is working with the staff from the LTA for her fitness and physio needs.

Regardless of whether Raducanu makes it to the first tournament of the year, she expresses her eagerness to compete, stating that she has been "keen to get back in the game for quite a while now" and is feeling restless.

Last month on BBC Radio 4's Today show, she mentioned that the most significant realization she had in recent months was how much she longed to take part in the sport.

The most remarkable aspect for me was realizing how much I longed for training. I discovered that I actually missed the physical strain and exhaustion that come with pushing yourself through certain exercises, even when you lack the motivation for it.