- Emma Raducanu planned to return at an exhibition tournament in Macau
- The tournament on December 2 would have been a low-pressure environment
- She has yet to play since undergoing surgery on her wrists and ankle in April
Emma Raducanu has marked her 21st birthday by confirming she will not be ready to play in what was set to be her comeback event next month, an exhibition tournament in Macau starting on December 2.
The former US Open champion had planned a trip to Asia to take her first competitive steps back on the court in a low-pressure environment ahead of the new season in January.
Yet, as reported by Mail Sport this weekend, she is not yet ready to return for what would have been her first match of any kind since April, after which she underwent surgery on her wrists and ankle.
A spokesperson for her management explained that she had been asked by the organizers to commit to the event several weeks ago, but that although she was keen to play, she could not guarantee her attendance and therefore withdrew to give them time to find a replacement.
Emma Raducanu has confirmed that she will not return to the tennis court next month as planned
The disappointing setback was confirmed on Raducanu’s 21st birthday, where many of the tennis star’s close friends and family members wished her many happy returns on Instagram.
The plan remains for her to play in Australasia in the opening weeks of the season, but Raducanu has not competed in any other exhibition events before that.
She hasn’t managed to get any good batting hours on the court yet, although there are still almost seven weeks to go before things start up again.
Since parting ways with German Sebastian Sachs earlier this summer, she has not yet assembled a single tailor-made tennis team in the form of a coach, physio or fitness trainer.
The former US Open champion underwent surgery on her wrists and ankle earlier this year
Raducanu shared a photo of herself on social media after her third surgery in April