TENNIS: Raducanu upbeat despite United Cup loss to Sakkari on return from injury

Emma Raducanu described her return to the court after more than two months away as an “alien feeling,” but her three-set match against Maria Sakkari at the United Cup on Tuesday gave her confidence that she can safely increase her practice workload.

The 2021 U.S. Open champion had withdrawn from her scheduled match against Naomi Osaka at the mixed-team event on Sunday due to a foot injury sustained late last year. However, she was able to face Greece’s Sakkari in Perth.

Raducanu, 23, lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 as Britain exited the competition, but she focused on the positives from her return.

“I am pretty happy with how I was able to play a three-set match,” she told reporters. “Considering I played only five or six games in practice, it’s a big effort for me.”

Since her breakthrough triumph as a teenager at the U.S. Open, Raducanu has struggled with injuries and inconsistent form. She reached the Miami Open quarter-finals last year before ending her season early.

“It’s been a good two and a bit months where I didn’t play,” she said. “It’s been difficult to increase the load and deal with the unpredictability of tennis. I think today, being able to produce that after not playing for a while, is giving me confidence in what I can do when I practice more. Initially, you feel a little alien on the court in the first set, just playing points again. I know now I just need to get my head down and keep working.”

Raducanu is set to return to action at the Hobart International, which begins on January 12, before the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, starts on January 18.

-Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters