Concerns about Emma Raducanu’s readiness for the Australian Open have been partly assuaged by social-media images of an intense training session in Melbourne.
Raducanu had planned to be participating in the Auckland Open this week, only to withdraw on the eve of the tournament on account of the niggling back trouble that had dogged her off-season.
But she was pictured moving freely on one of Melbourne’s blue practice courts in a hitting session with her close friend Fran Jones, the British No 5.
In a separate series of images, Raducanu is shown hurling a medicine ball into the floor in an exercise that was presumably prescribed by her new fitness trainer, Yutaka Nakamura.
Since joining the Raducanu camp for the first time in November, Nakamura – who supervised Maria Sharapova’s training regime for eight years – has been trying to improve his new charge’s patchy fitness record. But the recent issues with Raducanu’s back have underlined how much work still needs to be done.
Raducanu labelled her latest Instagram photo-dump with the caption “being grateful for health & channelling into growth”. She also attached an image of a WhatsApp message that read: “It’s funny you forget how much for granted you take being fit is & only remember when you’re on the sidelines again.”
While Raducanu’s non-appearance in Auckland was not a significant disappointment, given the fact that it is only a 250-point event with a modest field, the Australian Open is one of the four most prestigious events of the year.
Starting on Jan 12, the first major of the season will bring the world’s best players together in pursuit of a first prize approaching £2 million, not to mention the 2,000 rankings points – enough to put the winner on the verge of the world’s top 20 even if they did not play another event all year.
The British No 1, Katie Boulter, should go into Melbourne with some confidence after scoring two dominant victories at the United Cup in Sydney over the past few days.
Having defeated Nadia Podoroska of Argentina and Australia’s Olivia Gadecki, both in straight sets, Boulter went up against world No 2 Iga Swiatek on Thursday and pushed her all the way in a narrow 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 defeat.
With Hubert Hurkacz also defeating Billy Harris in the men’s match, Great Britain were eliminated by Poland at the quarter-final stage.
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